Goodbye Again
by Shaz1
Summary: Set immediately after the climax of the SmithyLouise relationship. This story picks up immediately after the episodes end. Smithy isn't coping too well either physically or mentally. Please R and R. Chapter Twenty Four up!
1. Chapter 1

Goodbye Again

By Shaz

Rating: Erm about a 12a in the UK

Disclaimer: None of the recognised characters belong to me, they are all the property of the television company and the actors that portray them.

This is my first attempt at a The Bill fiction, so you reviews would be greatly appreciated!

Goodbye Again

The dark figure sat on the bench, his pale eyes staring out at nothing- looking in the direction of the Thames, yet not seeing it, for his vision was focused on the past and a future that would now never happen. He sat with his hands pressed deep into the pockets of his uniform trousers, his civvy jacket wrapped tight around his slim form. The cuts and bruises to his face and head, stood out starkly against the paleness of his face, and his breath caused the air around him to form a mist, as the cold London air made itself known to the lonesome figure, yet at that time he did not even notice the cold his mind was too lost in his own personal turmoil for it to form any significance to him. Once again he was alone, every time he gave his heart it was thrown back at him in more pieces than it had been in before. His anger once more surfaced- bringing with it all of the hurt that he tried his best to keep hidden from the outside world, it was only at times like this when he was on his own and free to allow his emotions to surface that he allowed his mind to wander over his pain. He shook his head once as he realised how much time had passed, he had finished work over an hour ago, yet throughout his shift his mind had been far away from the streets of Sun Hill. Less than a week ago he had been abducted and beaten as a result of his girlfriend's husband finding out about their affair. He was held at gunpoint, and didn't know whether his lover was alive or dead, to top it off the husband had already killed one man by shooting him through his head, so he had left no doubt in the police sergeant's mind that he would be more than willing to shoot him too. It wasn't so much his brush with death that played on the officer's mind, as much as the fact that despite everything Louise had still stuck by her husband, it didn't matter that it was through fear rather than love, what mattered was that once again he was alone in the World, and more than likely to stay that way.

"Are you planning on sitting here all night?" a familiar voice asked him from over his shoulder, and he whirled around to see who had snuck up behind him. Gina sighed as she saw the shutters clutter firmly down into place, she knew that she was guilty of the same things as her sergeant, but sometimes she just wished that he had admit to her the pain that he was feeling, just once not hide behind the mask. Smithy closed his eyes against the intrusion into his thoughts, and swung his head back round towards the river.

"Na, just getting some air" he replied finally, his tone carefully controlled and neutral as ever.

"Have you even been home yet?" Gina asked her junior officer, who she also considered to be one of her dearest friends.

"Not yet" Smithy replied, knowing that he was in for some sort of pep talk, yet not even bothering to get annoyed by it.

"Dale, your shift ended nearly two hours ago, it is five degrees out and you are sat in a summer jacket" Gina stated, not even waiting for any sort of response. "Come on lets go and get a brandy into you, warm you up before you catch your death" he ordered him bluntly, her tone leaving no room for the argument that she would normally expect. Dale sighed and got to his feet, Gina was alarmed to see him swaying slightly before he righted himself and followed slowly behind her. The short walk to the nearest pub was passed in silence, Smithy still in the process of surfacing from his deep thoughts and Gina unwilling to push the young sergeant into speaking before he was ready.

They soon arrived at the empty pub and Gina promptly ordered their drinks and selected a table in the corner for the pair to sit at. Gina gently placed the double brandy before her friend and settled on sipping on an orange juice for herself. Dale muttered a thanks, before downing the drink in one shot. He placed the empty glass back down on the table and Gina couldn't help but noticed the unsteadiness to his actions.

"I'm not going to push you in talking about this you know" she told him when the silence became too much for her. "I understand what you must have gone through with Louise, and I know that it must hurt like hell at the moment, but with time you will heal" she told him. He looked up, anger unhidden in his pale eyes.

"You think I'll just get over her? Get over her going back to him? How can I? How can I ever get over what has happened the last few weeks, she is taking the wrap for what she ain't done, walking away from us, and for what? For nothing!" Dale responded, shocking Gina with his honesty and the fact that he had actually expressed his true feelings.

"Smithy I am sure that Louise loved you, she has made her decision to protect you as well as herself. Pete is a dangerous man, he very nearly killed you Dale, he probably would've if it wasn't for Jack and the SO19 boys showing up when they did. Louise did what she thought was right for both of you" Gina told her young companion. Smithy shook his head once sadly, before replying.

"Yeah just like Kerry did" he told her, his voice quivering slightly with emotion- enough to shock the difficult to rattle police inspector. With those words he gently squeezed Gina's arm. "Cheers anyway though" he told her softly, before getting unsteadily to his feet. When he stood at his full height Gina couldn't help but notice the slight wince that marred the pale features and the slump to his posture, but before she could call him on it the young man was staggering across the quiet pub and out the door into the darkened night.

End Chapter One


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

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Chapter Two

Smithy walked home alone, his head pounding with every step he took, he was exhausted and he couldn't wait to find his way to his bed- and collapse into with a couple of paracetamol. He rubbed his hand over his face, the damage that Larson had inflicted still evident in the cuts and bruises that still ached to the touch. It seemed he was getting punched in the face too often lately- first his roof top battle with the fake Gabriel Kent and then getting beaten and pistol whipped by his lover's husband. How unlucky could one guy get? He sighed as finally he arrived at his destination, slipping his key into the lock after missing it several times due to the shaking of his hand; he finally stepped into his home. He headed straight to the kitchen and pulled the pill bottle out of the drawer downing four pills without the use of water. He paused for a moment, leaning against the kitchen counter, before making his way to his small bathroom where he began to run the bath. Whilst the water ran he unbuttoned his shirt and carefully pulled it away, being careful not to over stretch himself due to the remaining tenderness of his ribs. He twisted carefully around and examined the damage in his mirror, his whole torso was black and blue and looked puffy around his ribs, he sighed which pulled once more on his aching side. Wearing his body armour all day had been anything but comfortable, but he knew that soaking in a relaxing bath should sooth the protesting muscles enough to give him some sleep that night.

Gina sighed to herself, she was worried. It wasn't something that she easily admitted but she truly did care for Dale Smith- more so than just as a colleague but as a friend. He had looked too pale to her, not to mention the melancholy that had surrounded him throughout his shift. It was more than obvious that Dale was not as all right as he was so desperate to appear to his colleagues, yet she knew from personal experience that he couldn't be allowed to drift away from them. Mind made up she picked up her mobile phone and dialled a number, she hoped that Dale would talk to someone even if it wasn't to her.

"All right, all right! I'm coming" Dale yelled at the incessant knocking at his front door, the knocking seemed to follow the rhythm of the banging in his skull- which he found more disconcerting. He pulled a plain t-shirt on over his damp chest and gasped as it caught on his damaged ribs in his haste. Once he had managed to get his breath back he carefully pulled on his jeans that were discarded the previously night. He dragged his fingers through his still damp hair, and wrenched open the door shocked at who stood before him.

"Sarge?" he asked, his mouth hanging open in shock. Bob Cryer smiled at his friend.

"Hello Dale, are you going to invite me in?" he asked the younger man. Smithy managed a weak smile before pulling the door fully open to allow the older man entrance. Bob walked straight through to the living area, his limp now barely noticeable- which Dale was immensely glad about.

"What can I do for you?" Smithy asked his one time sergeant after he had handed him a beer from the fridge.

"I'm not going to lie to you Dale, Gina Gold called me, she told me that she was worried about you and frankly I can see why" the older man replied as bluntly as ever. He couldn't deny that he was glad to see his much younger friend, however he deeply wished that he had made the effort sooner for the man that sat before him was a shadow of the lad that he had known.

"What did she say ta ya?" Dale asked, his tone soft and his gaze resting on the beer bottle in his hand.

"She told me about Gabriel, about Kerry and about Louise" Bob replied, he had been extremely shocked to hear about his friend's luck of the last year. From all accounts he had nearly died in a fire, been beaten and almost strangled on a roof top and then finally beaten and held at gunpoint by a murderer, it didn't exactly seem unlikely that the young sergeant was suffering some effects from the build up of the traumas and living alone was not going to help matters at all. The conversation with the Inspector had left Bob reeling, plus a little bit hurt that Smithy had not turned to him in his turmoil, however he knew the younger man well and knew full well that expressions of feelings was not high on the man's competencies. The phone call had lasted the best part of an hour, and he thanked his lucky stars that he hadn't been a million miles from Smithy's home when the call had came. Smithy did not look up from the bottle in his hand, yet his breath did hitch in his throat.

"She didn't need to bother you, I'm fine" he replied eventually, although he still refused to make eye contact.

"Ah right, that's fine then" Bob replied, and Dale looked up sharply surprise written all across his far too pale features. For the first time Bob got a close look at the younger officer and saw the stark dark smudges under his eyes that blended in perfectly with the bruises to his temple. "When was the last time that you got a full night's sleep?" Bob asked gently, his tone laced with the concern that he felt in his heart.

"Bout a week ago, before all this" Smithy replied, the truth slipping out before he got a chance to bite his tongue. Bob sighed to himself and got to his feet. He held his hand out to the taller man and hoisted him to his feet as well.

"Come on Dale, you go to bed and we will have this conversation tomorrow" Bob told him, and Dale shot him a questioning look. "Yes I am fully planning on staying in your spare room, so that we can continue this chat at the end of your shift tomorrow" the experienced sergeant told him. Dale sighed, yet was too exhausted to argue, he simply turned around and walked towards his bedroom, Bob watched him go, seeing the slump of his shoulders and was more than relieved when he saw his friend collapse into his bed, fast asleep almost before his head hit the pillow.

End Chapter Two

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	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

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Chapter Three

Bob sighed as he sat back down on the sofa, he missed Sun Hill greatly, he missed his job and he missed his colleagues. He had always been close to Dale, he had helped him with his previous application to SO19, and had been proud when Dale had been accepted, yet his heart glowed with warmth and pride at his one time jack the lad PC now being a responsible sergeant off his own back. He sighed to himself; he truly did miss those days. He couldn't help but feel concern now for his friend, Dale had been evidently favouring his left side a lot and had clear bruises over his face, bruises that Bob suspected were just as clear where his skin was hidden by clothing, yet somehow he felt that he should be more concerned by the bruises on the inside of his skin rather than those on the outside. The retired officer rubbed his hands over his tired face, he wasn't used to the drama anymore. Just as he was about to make himself comfortable in the spare room, a soft knock at the door caught his attention. He hesitated briefly before walking across to answer it; opening it slowly he was greeted by a very familiar and friendly face.

"Tony?" he greeted warmly. Tony's face lit up into a smile that reached the depths of his eyes.

"Sarge! What are you doing here?" the large man asked his long-term friend and colleague. Bob grinned in response, pleased to see the response car driver that he had known for so very long.

"Come on in" he told him, not wanting to leave him stood out on the doorstep. "Gina Gold rang me, worried about Smithy. I take it that's why you are here as well?" Bob asked, his eyebrow quirked in question.

"Sort of, I was worried about him, so I thought that I should just call round and check on him" Tony replied honestly, the two men were interrupted by a figure dashing past them into the bathroom behind where they stood. The two exchanged a quick look of shared concern for their friend, after a second Bob turned around and gently pushed the door open, to reveal a sweat soaked police sergeant sat on the floor beside his toilet retching violently. When he had finished the younger man reached and flushed the toilet before slumping unceremoniously back down to his position leant against the floor. Carefully Tony and Bob stood on either side of the shivering form, and between them lifted the pitiful figure to his feet and helped him back to his bedroom. Once there Tony supported the full weight of the much smaller man, whilst Bob straightened the tangled sheets of the bed, before they carefully laid the evidently sick man back down onto the bed. Glazed eyes stared up at the two men.

"Tony?" Smithy questioned softly, as if only now realising who had been holding him upright.

"Yeah sarge, it's me" Tony replied, noting the alarming size of his sergeant's pupils, signalling to him that the younger man had one hell of a headache at that moment, and the sweat that glistened on the too pale skin clearly showed that Dale was far from all right after his recent traumas. It also showed that both he and Gina Gold had been more than correct in worrying about the young man.

"What ya doing here?" Dale asked, his voice barely a whisper as his eyes drifted shut, losing the battle at staying awake.

"Just came to check on ya, that's all" Tony replied. Dale nodded slightly and was fast asleep before either of his guests knew it. Silently the two left the room, not willing to disturb their friend when they had their inevitable conversation.

"What's the matter with him?" Tony asked, his concern clearly evident in his voice Bob looked at him, unsure of how to answer the question.

"I don't know Tony. I mean he has the physical injuries, but I don't know if it is that or maybe flashbacks of what happened" Bob replied, his mind was whirling at a hundred miles an hour, trying to see what Smithy's symptoms could possibly mean. "He did get checked out at the hospital after didn't he?" he asked the other man, and Tony nodded immediately, and then paused for a moment.

"Well he kind of did" he replied eventually.

"Kind of?" Bob prompted, knowing in his gut that he wasn't going to like what was going to come next.

"Well I was with him while the nurse examined him. She started cleaning up the cuts and wiping away some of the blood, but then he told her to leave it, he wanted to check on Louise you see. Anyway I told him that he needed to get sorted, every movement was hurting him, ya could tell. Anyway when I went to get the nurse back he snuck out when I weren't there to stop him. I got ordered to go back to the nick for a debrief, then got caught up in fudge" Tony told the other man, and upon seeing his confused expression shook his head slightly. "Yeah best not to ask about fudge" he continued. "When smithy got back to the nick later he was cleaner, like he had been treated, and I guess that we just assumed that he had been" Tony told him, his own mind now forming the same conclusion as the retired sergeants. "You don't think he got treated do ya sarge?" Tony asked, his question clearly rhetorical. Bob shook his head in reply.

"No Tone, no I really don't" he responded, his tone crisp and his frustration clear. The two men chatted into the night, catching up on what had been happening in each others' lives, until eventually they had to concede defeat and turn in for the night.

"I think I'll kip on the sofa Bob" Tony told his one time superior; Bob simply nodded and headed off to the spare room. Both men had a restless night that night.

The figure groaned as consciousness returned, he turned his head slightly to his left and groaned once more as he caught sight of the alarm clock beside the bed, he was knackered, yet it was already time to get up for another day at work. He sighed as he thought back to the previous night; he knew he still had his two friends to deal with, but how? He rubbed his hands carefully over his face and swallowed against the sand paper feel of his throat. His mouth tasted like a rat had died in it, and he was dying for a drink, so without pondering for any longer he got to his feet, closing his eyes to get his balance back as he reached his full height. He made his way as quietly as possible to the bathroom and soundlessly brushed his teeth and washed himself. He leant against the sink and stared at his reflection in the mirror in front of him, he looked like a ghost, a ghost that had had a rough week. His lips curved slightly at the thought, moving back into the lounge he tapped Tony awake, as unwilling as he was to talk he didn't really wish to make his colleague late for their shift.

"Sarge? What time is it?" Tony asked, slowly regaining his senses.

"Half six" Dale replied.

"Bloody hell!" Tony retorted, promptly moving from the sofa directly into the bathroom. He re-emerged seconds later, washed and ready to head to work. "Are you gonna wake Bob?" he asked his sergeant.

"Na, leave him to sleep in, he'll still be here when I get home" Smithy replied, not for a second doubting his words. Tony chuckled lightly and the two men left the building quietly, walking separately to their cars. As Smithy walked away from Tony he suddenly realised that his car wasn't there, for he had in fact walked home from work the previous day, he turned his confused gaze back at his friend.

"Er Tony, can I get a lift off ya, me cars at work" he asked, Tony smiled slightly, to be honest he had been concerned about his friend driving, even though Smithy was an advanced driver the same as Tony, he wasn't sure if he wanted to see him behind the wheel anytime soon.

"Yeah sure, hop in" Tony replied, and Dale flashed him a smile as he did as he was bid. The journey to the station passed in silence, Dale leant his head back against the seat and closed his eyes, his mind a million miles away from Sun Hill and the Met at that moment. "Sarge are you okay?" Tony asked, snatching the younger man from his thoughts. Dale seemed to ponder the question for a moment.

"Tony I am getting there mate, I'm getting there" he replied eventually, shocking the other officer with his answer. Despite the sincerity behind the question, he hadn't seriously expected an honest answer from his friend. Tony remained silent, at a complete loss for what to say in response, so he chose to stay quiet. When they arrived at the station Smithy thanked the other man for his lift then headed off to the sergeants office to find out about any handovers and to fill out the duties for the day. For the first time he was extremely glad that Gina was off work, he knew that she would practically be smothering him, especially after last night and he couldn't help but feel slightly angry at her for bringing Bob in on it as well. He sighed as he slumped down in his desk chair, pulling the clipboard towards him and taking his pen out he began to prepare for the day.

End Chapter Three

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	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

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Chapter Four

Tony headed straight to the locker room and dived into the shower, thankful of the spare supplies that he kept at the station, he then brushed his teeth and pulled his uniform on. He did his belt up as soon as he had tucked his shirt into his trousers, and was just doing up his epaulettes when Roger appeared beside him.

"Hiya Tone, did I see arrive with Smithy?" the other man asked, he had been concerned since he had seen his sergeant at the hospital immediately after his rescue from the abduction at gunpoint. He had seen an awful lot of blood over his friend's one time white shirt, and he truly hadn't liked it. Tony looked suspiciously at his work colleague, a streak of protectiveness for his sergeant flashing through him.

"Yeah, why?" the larger man responded. Roger quirked his eyebrow, not sure why his friend seemed to be acting defensively all of a sudden.

"No reason, I just wanted to check that he was okay really. I've just been a bit worried that's all" Roger replied honestly. Tony sighed softly, regretting his defensive tone.

"Sorry mate, na the sarge walked home last night, so I gave him a lift in this morning" Tony replied telling the truth, just not all of it. Roger simply nodded, he knew that there was more to the story than that, mainly because Smithy lived quite a long walk from both the nick and Tony's house, so he knew that there were some underlying circumstances behind Tony driving the younger man in, yet somehow he also understood that there was more than likely a good explanation, that for some reason, most likely to protect Smithy, Tony did not wish to share with him.

"Okay mate, see you in briefing" Roger responded, not wanting to push Tony into betraying a confidence he decided to leave things be for the moment, as he stepped out of the locker room he collided directly with June who was heading towards the sergeants office.

"Sorry Sarge" Roger apologised, before being on his way, not dwelling on his collision with his one time dear friend. June shook her head slightly and continued to her path to check if her fellow sergeant required any help with the duties or handover packages left by the night shift. She headed straight into their shared office, and found her friend leaning both elbows on the desk in front of his, with his head resting on his hands, the view of his face completely obstructed.

"Dale?" she queried softly, not wishing to startle the young man who clearly had not registered her presence yet. Slowly realisation dawned and he looked up.

"Oh hi June" he greeted quietly, handing her the clipboard with the duties written out in shaky scrawl. "That okay with you?" he asked, she quickly scanned over what he had written, before she nodded.

"Yeah that seems fine by me. Don't forget that Reg has a bailer in at two, and Dan needs pre charge advise for that abstract job" June continued, and Dale nodded in acknowledgement before adding it onto the duty list so that the communications room would know which officers were going to be available at what time should jobs come in later. "Are you all right Dale? You look a little pale" June asked, she and the other shift sergeant had grown close throughout all of the business with Gabriel and David Kent, and she knew that he would be a friend for life for the way that he had supported her throughout the entirety of the ordeal pretty much thanklessly.

"Yeah I'm fine June, just a headache that's all" he replied, understating quite how bad his head felt at that moment. June nodded satisfied, before reaching into her desk drawer and pulling out a packet of extra strong paracetamol and handing them to the man. "Ah June you are a life saver" he thanked her as he popped two pills into his mouth and swallowed them dry, his smile reaching his eyes for the first time in days. June chuckled lightly, pleased to see his spirits lifted even slightly.

"Come on then, lets go and release the animals" June prompted with a roll of her eyes, Smithy smiled slightly before following her out of the room, and into the briefing where the relief were waiting for them to issue their duties. "Are you sure that you can cope with a whole day out with me?" June asked him with a wink, motioning to the duties that he had prepared. It was very unusual for both sergeants to go out and about together, but somehow Smithy had felt like putting down a change for the day. He knew that he paired up with Tony or Roger, or Reg for that matters his headache would be beyond his pain threshold within a couple of hours with their incessant chatter and questions, yet June respected his privacy and showed her concern with an offer to talk, yet accepted it if the offer was declined. He sat back in his chair and allowed June's voice to wash over him as she called out the call signs and pairings for the shift ahead. It was only when he heard the door open and people filing out that he realised that the briefing had in fact finished and it was time for him to move. Slowly he got up from his position in his chair and made his way over to the door, where he found himself face to face with Inspector Gold.

"Ah Sgt Smith, just the person, can I have a word in my office please?" she asked rhetorically, for she was already gone before he had even a second to respond.

"What have you done now?" June asked sympathetically from behind him, and he simply shrugged in response before going to see his boss.

"Take a seat" Gina barked at the young man before her. Smithy sighed audibly, having a hunch where this was heading, and not liking it one tiny bit. Gina observed the young sergeant carefully, he didn't look happy, but then again he hadn't looked happy for a while. "Did you have a visitor last night?" June asked, and Dale raised his head sharply, managing to disguise his wince at the last minute. He knew that Gina was blunt, but he hadn't expected her to cut to the chase quite so much.

"You know I did, why did you ring Bob?" Smithy asked, deciding that two could play at that game. Gina looked him straight in the eye as she spoke her reply.

"I think you know the answer to that. I am worried about you, and I knew that you won't talk to me, so I figured that a visit from Bob would be good for you." She told him, her gaze never wavering from his face. "Dale it is quite obvious to everyone that you need to talk to somebody, you are as white as a sheet and popping the painkillers constantly, not to mention the wince if anyone catches ya in your side. Plus if anyone so much as mentions Louise's name you look as if you could throw yourself from a building. That is why I rang Bob. When I told you about my cancer you supported me, but made me see sense, that is what I am trying to do for you" she told him sincerely. To be honest she was greatly worried about is physical health as much as his mental health, yet she knew that the former squaddie would bristle at any mention of that. Sometimes they were too similar for their own good.

"When you told me about your illness I accepted that, I didn't get anyone else involved" Smithy argued back, and Gina couldn't deny the truth behind the statement, his loyalty had made her realise what a friend she truly had in sergeant Smith.

"Yes I know, and I appreciate you accepting what I wanted to do, but I can't accept you allowing yourself to wither away, not when I know that if you let someone help you, you will feel a million times better. I know that this is rich coming from me, but you need to talk to somebody and explain what happened. If you won't talk to me then talk to Bob" Gina reasoned. Dale snorted at her words.

"Will that be all ma'am?" he asked her, his eyes locked on her, signalling a clear close to the conversation, Gina sighed in resignation, more than slightly disappointed at his reaction, but unwilling to push the matter any further at the moment.

"Yes, off you go Smithy, but you know where I am if you need me" she told him, he did not acknowledge her he simply strode out of the office and directly to the toilets down the corridor.

End Chapter Four

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	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

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Chapter Five

Smithy leant his aching forehead against the cold tiles of the men's toilets. He had instantly regretted the way that he had reacted to what Gina had said to him. Especially when he knew that she was trying to help him, he could feel his stomach lurching as he stood as still as possible, trying desperately to avoid his body betraying him once more. As slowly as he could he made his way into the stalls and squatted down beside the toilet, his eyes firmly squeezed shut in an attempt to settle his stomach. A second later he lost the battle as he was over come and forced to retch into the toilet before him. Painful dry heaves overwhelmed him, as his body let him know what a bad idea it was to live solely on coffee for almost a week. When he had coughed up the last little painful ounce from his stomach, he sat back, his mouth and throat feeling like sandpaper and his head pounding worse than ever. He leant his head against the wooden stall, and closed his eyes, rubbing his hands over his face attempting to abate the pain that threatened to overwhelm him. When he was sure that he would be able to put one foot in front of the other in some semblance of normality he eased himself up to his feet and headed back towards the sink. He bent over at his waist and splashed cold water over his deathly pallor in an attempt to wake himself up and calm down the agony within him. When he had managed to regain his breath he wiped his face dry with some paper towel, and headed back out of the room. He headed directly back to the sergeant's office, and found June sat waiting for him. She turned to look at him with a slight grin on her face, but the grin quickly faded when she caught sight of him, he looked even paler than he had before, and that was saying something.

"Dale?" she questioned slightly. He walked past and sat straight down on his desk chair, unable to carry his own weight much longer. "Smithy? What's wrong?" June asked, her concern now totally vanished and replaced by fear.

"Just give me a minute June" Smithy pleaded, his head swimming so much that staying sat up and breathing was requiring all of his concentration, without him trying to speak as well.

"I am going to go and get the inspector" June told him, getting to her feet, and heading for the door.

"No!" Smithy snapped, instantly regretting it as his head split once more. "No, please don't fuss. I will be fine in a second" he continued, his voice a mere whisper, and shaking, a clear reflection of the agony that he was in.

"What can I do?" June asked, desperate to help him in some way.

"Just give me a minute, please?" he asked her once more, this time his head rested against his arm on his desk.

"Okay I will give you half an hour, then I am getting the FME" she told him, carefully she moved forward and grabbed her jumper from her desk, folding it over several times she tenderly lifted up her friend's head and slotted the makeshift pillow in underneath. She then softly caressed his cheek in a final gesture of care and friendship, before she turned and left the office, switching the lights off as she went. Once she had left the room, she wasn't totally sure of what to do with herself.

"Ah June there you are" Gina Gold stated from behind her, causing the female sergeant to jump in shock. Gina quirked an eyebrow, but did not comment any further on the reaction. "Mind if we have a quick chat in your office?" the inspector asked, already heading towards the sergeant's door.

"Er no ma'am, can we perhaps use yours, Sgt Smith is doing some paperwork in the sergeants office" June told her, mentally crossing her fingers at the lie she had just effortlessly told. Gina nodded curtly.

"Very well, this is a private conversation I suppose" Gina responded, changing her direction of travel slightly, and heading to her own office, June breathed an inaudible sigh of relief as she followed her senior officer. As soon as the two women entered the office the inspector gestured for June to take a seat, as she sat down on her own desk chair.

"June, I asked you in here to talk about Dale. I am no fool, I know that he is far from a hundred percent, and I noticed on the duties that the two of you are paired up today. I am just asking you to keep an eye on him, I know that he won't admit to feeling under par, but for his own good some intervention may be required" Gina stated to her sergeant. June sighed, this hadn't been what he had been expecting at all.

"With all due respect ma'am, Smithy isn't exactly the sort that will be willing to open his heart up and talk things through, least of all with me. Granted he told me some of what went off with Kerry, but I think it's different this time" June continued, glancing briefly at her watch.

"Different in what way?" Gina asked curious.

"It's hard to explain. With Kerry he loved her completely, and she hurt him time and time again. Every time she hurt him, he let her, but somehow part of him closed of. When she died like that, well a part of him died with her. I think that we will never get that part of him back. Then there's Louise, again he loves her totally, willing to give up his career for her, then she goes and chooses Pete over him, and again another part of him died. Last time he had Gabriel to blame for most of what happened, he knew that Gabriel was keeping things back and carrying on in ways that he shouldn't have been, I don't think that Dale knew quiet the degree, but he did suspect some involvement. What I am trying to say is that with Kerry, Dale had someone to blame, someone to focus on bringing to justice, with Louise it isn't that simple, he was beaten- more badly than we would probably realise, and then on top of that she walks on him and goes back to her murderer husband. Smithy is so loyal to those that he truly loves that I honestly don't think he can understand at all why people betray each other, and certainly not happily go back to those that have betrayed them. I think that he is holding himself back more than usual, hiding behind his tough impenetrable façade because he thinks that if he doesn't, that if he shows weakness that he will only get hurt again. And to be honest I do agree with him in that I honestly don't think he could survive that kind of hurt again" June told Gina, shocking the senior officer with her insight and candidness.

"Wow June, I think you may have just hit the nail on the head" Gina commented. "The question is, what do we do to help him?" she asked, at a loss for how else to be there for her friend.

"Pretty much as you have said, we keep an eye on him, talk if he wants to talk, but I don't think that we should push. Given time, hopefully he will come to us of his own accord" June reasoned.

"What about his physical state?" Gina asked.

"Ma'am?" June questioned, not really wishing to delve any deeper into this conversation for fear that she may have to betray Dale's confidence.

"He has stark bruising over his face, and swear that the boy has lost weight in the last week, in fact I don't think a scrap of food has been consumed by him in all that time" Gina continued, her fear for him vocalised.

"Ma'am as you are aware he is crewed with me today, I will see what I can do about that" June responded, that had not been something that she herself had been aware of, but something that she was sure would be easy to fix during that day at least.

"Okay June, thank you for your time, you best go off and find your partner for the day" Gina told the sergeant, feeling better for the conversation, yet still greatly concerned for her friend.

As quietly as possible June eased open the door to her shared office, finding her friend fast asleep exactly where she had left him. She smiled slightly at how innocent and peaceful Dale looked in his sleep, sometimes it was easy to forget how young the sergeant actually was. Even though he had a number of years service under his belt, plus his army time before that, he had started his career very young, and his assured attitude made it easy to overlook his age at times. Gently she placed her hand on his shoulder and shook him, trying to wake him up without startling him. He did not stir at the pressure or the movement, reluctantly she put more force behind the movement and still he did not awaken. Her concern now rose to another level and she did not hesitate before physically lifting his head from the desk to force him to wake up, and she was immensely relieved when he did. His vision swam as he was grabbed and pulled back to consciousness, he blinked several times to clear his blurred vision and wake himself up. Finally he was able to focus on the woman stood in front of him.

"June?" he asked softly, his mind finally catching up with reality.

"Yes Dale, it's me. You feeling any better?" she asked him, desperately trying to keep her worry and fear from her voice.

"Yeah ta, much" He replied rubbing his hands over his still pale face. "Are you ready to go out?" he asked her, his tone still soft and his eyes still squinting up at her. June pondered the question for a moment before answering.

"Yes I am ready whenever you are" she replied, and all she could hope was that the fresh air would do him some good.

End Chapter Five

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	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

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Chapter Six

Smithy suppressed the wince as he fastened his body armour over his swollen ribs, and turned gingerly to grab his flat cap from his desk. It was eleven in the morning, and he had done absolutely nothing so far, he sighed to himself he needed to get his act together or he was going to start screwing up at work, and he didn't want that at all. Without further hesitation he left the office and walked out of the back yard to find his fellow sergeant, where she was waiting for him by the car. He smiled lightly at her as he folded his lean frame into the passenger seat.

"Are you all set?" June asked him as he fastened his seat belt.

"Yeah, ready for the off" Dale replied smiling slightly to hide his discomfort.

"Are you sure you don't want to drive?" she asked him, knowing that her friend was an advanced driver and enjoyed the thrill of having the powerful police engines in his control.

"Na you can take it away" he replied, keen to limit his pain and discomfort by at least being able to sit comfortably in the passenger seat.

"All right then, I have shouted up that we are deployable, and no job outstanding at the moment, so we may as well just patrol around" June told her colleague. Dale nodded shortly, keen to get the day over with and quickly and painlessly as possible. The two sergeants drove around for over an hour, barely managing to issue a ticket on their travels, as she drove June glanced to her side and noted once again just how pale her friend was looking, she sighed to herself. "Dale its after twelve, nothings happening around here so how about we stop for some refs?" June asked, her plan to ensure that her colleague finally have something to eat.

"I'm not that hungry, but if you want to stop then we can" Dale replied, his tone soft and weak even to his own ears. June sighed, but refused to give up, she parked up outside the sit local café and promptly alighted from the car, when Dale made no move to follow she leant back in.

"Come on Dale, you surely aren't going to make me sit and eat alone?" she said to him, not above using emotional blackmail. He shook his head, and sighed to himself but still gave in and followed her into the small local café. June smiled a small grin of satisfaction at his reluctant agreement, she pointed him in the direction of a small table in the corner and she headed straight up to the counter and placed an order, quickly handing over the money for the food and drinks, before she went and joined her colleague at the table. "So you got plans for the days off?" she asked him. Smithy shook his head.

"Na, just gonna chill at home. Bob is staying at mine for a few days, but I don't know how long he is planning on hanging around" Dale told her, and they both looked up when the waitress appeared placing down a large pot of tea, a jug of milk and two cups. Dale nodded his thanks, and allowed June to pour him a cup. "Cheers" he thanked her.

"So when did Bob arrive?" June asked, unaware of their former sergeant staying with Dale, yet pleased at this development.

"He appeared on my doorstep last night. Gina called him" Dale told her, rolling his eyes. June couldn't help the little chuckle that escaped her at that. Dale shot her an amused glance before continuing. "Yeah I thought you'd find that funny" he responded, his own mouth slightly quirked into a grin.

"Sorry Dale, just seems that there are no lengths that Gina won't go to, to help her friends" she replied her smile reaching her eyes, Dale simply grunted in response. The conversation was brought to a close by the arrival of the food that June had ordered. Dale raised his eyebrows at the chicken club sandwich and bowl of chips placed before him.

"What's this?" he asked.

"Oh I don't like to eat alone, and I know that you like chicken club on brown so I thought I may as well get it for you, save you being hungry later" June told him, not meeting his eyes.

"Thanks" he replied, and reluctantly picked up the first triangle of the sandwich, examining it before raising it to his lips and taking a miniscule bite. He carefully chewed the sandwich before swallowing. When he was satisfied that it would stay down, and his stomach wouldn't betray him he took another bite, quickly finding that he was enjoying the meal. June watched in satisfaction as he managed to eat the whole sandwich. "Thanks June" he told her, this time meeting her eyes as he said the words. She smiled in response, finishing the last of her own sandwich, and pleased beyond belief that she had managed to get Dale to eat, even if it was just a sandwich and the chips were completely ignored- it was a start. The two finished off the last of their drinks and then headed back to the parked up beat car. June was pleased to see, although he was still far too pale, Dale had regained a little of his colour to his cheeks.

"Where to?" June asked.

"Jasmine?" Dale replied, knowing that there was always chance of some sport there. June grinned and headed off in that direction.

Bob made himself roughly the fifth cup of coffee in the day, he kept looking at his watch waiting for his friend to return home, he had started cooking a casserole- knowing that it would be light on Dale's stressed system. He was desperate to talk to the younger man, knowing that Dale found it very hard to share his thoughts and feelings, he knew that it could take a lot of work to get the details out of him. Yet it was a task that the younger man was more than willing to take on- Dale was much more than a colleague and a friend- he was a son to him, and he intended to ensure that the son remained around for quite some time.

"Copper Scum!" the youth shouted from above the beat car. Dale's gaze locked up, and within a blink of an eye the police sergeant was out of the car and sprinting up the stairs, his adrenaline pumping along with his long legs. He ran up flight after flight until he caught up with the youth, and with a long stretch forward managed to grab hold of the boy by the hood on the back of his jacket, dragging him across to the wall and pressing him against it. Taking a second to get his breath back and control his pounding heart.

"Now then, bet ya think that was really clever don't ya?" Dale asked the squirming youngster, knowing that he could not arrest the youth for an actual offence without having warned him for his conduct before he settled for giving him a firm telling off. "Now then Chris what ya been up to?" he asked him.

"Nothing, I ain't down nothing!" he replied.

"Yeah I bet! Are you wanted at the moment?" he asked him, not really expecting an honest reply.

"Na course not, I don't do anything wrong me!" Chris replied once more. Smithy rolled his eyes, before shouting up the control room. As soon as his shout was acknowledged he continued.

"Yeah can I have a person check please, Jasmine Allen" he replied.

"Pass details Smithy"

"Surname Spencer, first name Christopher. Date of birth 4th April 1987 white male" Smithy told them, there was a pause before the radio once more crackle back into life.

"Yeah he has 17 previous, not wanted, missing or disqualified and no pending, received?" the control room told the sergeant.

"Roger" Smithy acknowledged before turning his attention back to the youth. "Right you, on your way and consider this your warning" Smithy told the youngster firmly, before releasing his hold and allowing him on his way. As the adrenaline rush of the chase passed Smithy felt his head start to swim as the familiar dizziness returned slamming into him at such force that he fell back against the wall. He stayed where he was using the wall to support him as he shut his eyes trying to force the nausea away. He took a number of deep gasping breaths in a desperate attempt to keep his sandwich down. Once he was sure that he would be able to move a few paces without keeling over, he headed back towards the stairwell, keeping a firm grip of the hand rail as he did so. Finally he reached the ground floor, and wasn't surprised to find June stood there waiting for him, he made a concerted effort and managed to stand up straight without being sick all over his front.

"You caught him then?" she commented having heard the radio transmission.

"Yeah, little scroate" Dale replied, not having enough concentration spare to flash a smile. June looked at him in concern, she had been pleased to see him move with such ease in his foot patrol, but now that he had returned he looked shocking, his face was as white as his shirt and covered in a sheen that was caused by more than just running. She refrained from comment, but moved to walk directly next to him, concerned that he may keel over and land straight on the floor. She breathed a sigh of relief when he was safely sat down in the passenger seat of the beat vehicle.

"Are you ready to head back in and catch up on some paperwork?" June asked her fellow sergeant and he nodded, although he didn't make her feel any better when she saw him leant with his head directly against the head rest with his eyes squeezed tightly shut. Without further ado she started the engine and started heading back towards the station, less than five minutes later the silence of the car was interrupted by the crackle of the radio.

"Sierra Oscar to all mobiles, any unit free for an immediate response, possible break in progress at McGregors Wholesale on Lament Street, any mobiles free to attend?" Smithy and June exchanged a look and a sigh before Smithy reached over and pressed the button for the beacon and the siren, as June turned the car around and set off at speed in the direction of the call.

"Sierra Oscar 54 Sierra Oscar, show us attending" Smithy shouted up across the air.

"Roger 54, confirm double crewed?" the control responded. Smithy rolled his eyes in irritation.

"Roger in company with Sierra Oscar 48" he continued. "Confirm that key holder has been contacted?"

"Roger, he is en route to the premises to meet you there" control informed the officers. The rest of the journey passed in silence with only the siren to break the silence as the officers attempted to progress through the rush hour traffic.

End Chapter Six

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	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Thank you for your wonderful reviews, I love opening my e-mails and having review alerts awaiting me, it makes this lowly writer very happy and gives me reason to continue writing this story. Please keep reading and reviewing!

Before I continue with this story I would just like to express my deepest sympathy to the family of the officer that was shot and killed in Bradford on Friday, loss of life of any sort is tragic- but to shoot a police officer whose principle role is to preserve life and protect the community is an unspeakably wrong act. I'd also like to wish the injured officer a speedy recovery.

Anyways sorry about piping on….. on with the story!

Chapter Seven

"54 stat 6 at McGregors" Smithy yelled into his radio as he alighted from the police vehicle before it had even come a full stop. He headed directly to the rear of the premises leaving his colleague to cover the front, without hesitation he drew his asp from the position at his hip and undid the first button on his cuffs should the need arise to use them. As he got to the rear of the building he promptly discovered that the access door was in fact swinging open. He sighed to himself, this really was all that he needed. Reluctantly he reached for his radio and shouted up control once more, upon their reply he continued.

"Yeah we're gonna need the dog man down here" he told them, trying to keep the sigh out of his voice. Common procedure was for all of the possible escape routes that an offender may take to be covered, of course that was far easier said than done with only two officers present. Dale sighed once more, his mind made up.

"54 to 48"

"Go ahead Smithy"

"Yeah June, I am gonna go in and have a scout around, you stay put and I will be in touch as soon as" he continued. June felt her stomach churn at his words, she didn't like his plan, yet there wasn't really a lot of other options with just the two of them there.

"Okay Smithy, but be careful" June responded over the air, and Smithy had to fight to surprise his grin, he had to admit their were perks to being cared for by his colleagues, and one of those was the warm glow in his stomach when people showed their concern like that- of course more often that not the only glow it caused was that of anger and irritation, but still he could appreciate the thought. Carefully he pushed open the warehouse door, and with his torch in one hand and his non-extended asp in the other he carefully made his way in. He cast the glow of his torch around the premises, and quickly established that it looked as though they had been far far too late- the place was a wreck. Boxes were turned over and there were evident gaps in the storage aisles throughout the area. He clipped his asp back on his belt and went once more for his radio.

"54 to sierra oscar and 48"

"Go ahead"

"Yeah, any other mobiles travelling can cancel- it looks as though they are long gone. Would you arrange for scenes of crime to attend there is the entry point and a few foot marks to be looked at" Smithy reported back to the communications room.

"Roger will do" came the sharp reply. A few moments later and Smithy was joined by June, he looked up on hearing her footsteps.

"Long gone," he commented. She nodded, herself well versed in these types of incidents- plus the frustration of not catching the offender in the act.

"CCTV?" she questioned, suspecting that she already knew the answer. Smithy simply shrugged in response. Both officers all too aware that all that they could really do was to wait for the key holder to arrive and take brief details of what had been taken in order to submit the crime report ready for further investigation.

Smithy swayed where he stood, his head once more spinning- made worse by the abuse that it had been subjected to that day. June looked up in alarm at seeing how unsteady he looked.

"Dale?" she questioned softly, yet he was unable to raise his head to look at her, for the lump hammer was once more being banged against his skull, and he was biting his jaw down just to stop himself from being sick all over the crime scene. "Come on, lets get you back sat down in the car" June continued, quickly moving so as she stood next to him, and carefully supporting part of his weight guided him back to the beat car until he sat down in the passenger seat, his head resting against the back of the seat and his eyes squeezed firmly shut in an attempt to abate the nausea and stop the World from spinning around before his eyes.

"I'm sorry June" he whispered to his colleague, his voice laced with pain and fatigue.

"Hey you have nothing to be sorry for, you just sit back there" she told him softly, her concern for his welfare further rising. As quietly as she could she walked to the boot of the car and pulled out the bottle of mineral water that she had kept there unopened. Deftly undoing the cap she moved back to her colleague and handed him the cold bottle, which he gratefully took. "Just sip it" she told him in warning, and a slight move of his head showed he understood and he carefully raised the bottle to his parched lips and took a sip of the soothing liquid.

"Thanks" he told her, his headache dimming to the constant throb that he had become accustomed to.

Finally June had all of the details that she was able to obtain, and she managed to make her way back to the car and her colleague, who still looked far to grey in the face for her liking. She climbed straight into the car and shut the door as quietly as possible. Smithy turned glazed eyes in her direction at the sound.

"All done?" he asked softly, and June nodded in response.

"Yeah, time to head in I'd say" she told him, and he nodded his head slightly in response. The journey back to the station passed in silence, as Smithy could not bring himself to summon the energy to engage in conversation. He breathed a sigh of relief when they finally pulled up in the back yard of the nick. "Are you okay to walk in?" June asked him quietly, the concern in her eyes cutting off the sarcastic response that he had been about to make.

"Yeah, yeah I'll be fine ta" he replied, uncharacteristically agreeable. June nodded lightly, and kept close to him as they walked into the building down to the sergeants office, where they both gladly reached for their respective desk chairs. June reached immediately for the telephone, in order to start with the submission of the crime report- keen to get it crimed before they booked off duty for the day. Smithy simply sat at his chair starring at nothing, allowing his stomach to settle and his head to stop spinning. As she spoke on the phone, June kept her eyes on Smithy, her attention evenly divided between the two tasks. He was seriously worrying her, and she was beginning to think that there was far more to his appearance and general ill health than simply lack of good food and sleep.

Smithy reached his arms forward as far they could go without aggravating his sore ribs, stretching off his tiredness and aching muscles. It was less than five minutes until clocking off time and he had finished typing out the handover and was more than ready to go home.

"Do you need a lift?" June asked him softly, and he looked up confused, not immediately sure how to answer the question. "Come on Smithy I will run you home" June continued, alarmed by his confusion. She knew that his car was parked in the car park from the previous day when he had left it, but is he couldn't seem to fathom that then it was probably for the best that he didn't drive himself home.

"It's out of your way though" Dale replied, managing to get some of his wits together.

"Only slightly" June replied, "Besides I'd quiet like to see Bob, it's been a while" she continued, and Dale groaned, he had forgotten about his friend currently being present at his home. June grinned at the younger man's response, he knew that he was in for a grilling and they both knew that he found it very hard to deny anything of his one time sergeant. Reaching for his coat and pulling it over tense shoulders, Dale didn't even bother trying to disguise the wince, he leant over and grabbed his door keys and then followed June gratefully out of the door.

End Chapter Seven

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	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Thanks again for the reviews! For those of you that are also Pirates of the Caribbean fans, why not check out my PotC stories archived here! Please keep the reviews coming!

Chapter Eight

The two sergeants made good time through the traffic and soon arrived at Dale's humble home, he didn't even bother saying anything to June, for he knew that she intended on accompanying him inside. True to form June followed the lean sergeant through the door into the warm house. The two tired officers were met by the smell of a delicious home cooked meal, and they followed their noses through to the kitchen where they found Bob stirring a home made stew.

"June!" he exclaimed in delight upon seeing his long-term friend. June's entire face lit up with the smile that overtook her.

"Hello Bob" she greeted, capturing her old friend in a warm embrace, that told the story of the love that they felt for each other.

"Oh it is great to see you" Bob told her as he ushered her to sit down, as Smithy looked on bemused before sliding away into the bathroom where his extra strength pain killers were. June looked up as she heard her friend move away and suppressed the urge to sigh. "He's not feeling any better today then?" Bob asked softly, sensing June's concern for their mutual friend.

"No, something is seriously wrong. He hardly eats and I swear he has been on the verge of collapse several times today" June told her friend, who shook his head sadly at her words.

"I'll go and check on him" Bob responded, heading towards the bathroom. Cautiously he knocked on the door, and Dale answered it, his face and neck damp from being washed. "you okay?" Bob asked softly.

"I probably would be if everybody would stop asking me that" Dale snapped in reply, instantly hating himself for talking to his friend like that.

"I have cooked a stew for dinner, there's plenty to go around" Bob told the younger man, who was swaying on his feet as he stood.

"Does June want to stay?" Dale asked, the fatigue heavy in his voice. Bob looked on in concern as Dale leant against the doorframe in an attempt to stay upright.

"I don't know I didn't want to assume" Bob replied. "Why don't you come back and sit down inside and I will make you a cuppa before dinner" Bob prompted, not giving the other man a chance to reply before half dragging him through to the lounge. Smithy eased himself gratefully down into his armchair, his jellified legs pleased with the rest. Bob went straight back to the kitchen to June. "He is sick" Bob stated, his voice clearly showing his concern.

"I know, I think he is too" June replied, very afraid for her friend herself. "What are we going to do?" she asked, not sure where this conversation should go.

"Well I suppose that we do what he seems to have been unable to do lately, and that's take care of him. Make sure he eats and sleeps I guess. Dale isn't going to be pushed into going to get checked out, and I doubt very much that anything we say could ever persuade him to visit a doctor, so we just do the best that we can" Bob continued, reaching into the cupboard and pulling out three plates. June nodded in agreement and promptly began pouring the hot water into the mugs that Bob had already laid out, before taking one through to Dale. Her colleague was still sat in the chair where they had left him, starring into nothingness, June coughed lightly and when she had his attention, handed him the mug of hot tea, he smiled in thanks and took it from her.

"Dinner will only be a minute" she told him, keeping her tone low for the sake of his pained head.

"Cheers June" he replied, sipping at the hot liquid. A second later Bob called out that the food was cooked, and the three sat and ate their meals in a companiable silence. Smithy managed less than half of his portion before his stomach began to roll with the familiar feeling of nausea. Bob looked up when he saw how much his friend was struggling, finally taking pity on the younger man.

"Why don't you go to bed Smithy, we can talk when you get home tomorrow" he suggested, and Dale smiled gratefully at the man that he felt closer to than his own father.

"Cheers Bob, the stew was great" he replied, getting to his feet and taking his plate through to the kitchen. A moment later he headed to the bathroom for another dose of pain killers, and a wash then he headed to his bedroom, not even bothering to get fully undressed before climbing into bed. Once again his mind drifted straight away and sleep snatched him before his eyes were seeing the back of their lids.

The two long time friends and former colleagues sat and chatted for over an hour, June filled Bob in on exactly what had happened to Smithy over the last year, and Bob told her what he had been doing since he had left Sun Hill, finally it came to a time when June reluctantly had to bid farewell to her friend. She sighed as she got to her feet, not really wanting to leave either of her friends, but knowing that she was on day shift the following day she had no choice.

"Let Dale know that I will pick him up in the morning" she requested of Bob as she placed a friendly kiss on his cheek, buttoned up her coat and stepped into the cold night.

"I will do, and it really is fantastic to see you" Bob replied grinning at his friend. June returned the smile, and hurried to her car to get out of the bracing wind. Bob shut the door gently behind her, not wishing to disturb his sleeping friend. He sighed to himself, he was more than slightly concerned for Dale, he was actually scared. Scared that he couldn't help him, scared that too much damage had already been done, scared that Dale would no longer trust him enough to open up to him and scared that Dale would not seek the help that he so obviously needed. He just wished that he could scoop the lanky sergeant into his arms, take him to the hospital get him checked over physically and then pin him down until he shared what was going on in his head, if only life were that simple. With a final sigh Bob turned and headed back to the kitchen to wash up, before he sat down to another lonely, fretful night.

The next morning past pretty much the same as the previous, with Smithy getting ready for work and leaving the house as silently as possible. He stretched as he stepped out onto the icy street, walking carefully to avoid slipping over. As he made his way gingerly across the ice, his attention was caught by a voice shouting his name, he whirled around to see who was attempting to catch his attention. The combination of his constant dizziness and the slippiness of the path beneath his feet resulted in him skidding and landing directly down on his bottom on the hard pavement. The fall sent shockwaves reverberating through his already throbbing head and his vulnerable ribs groaned in protest at the fall. He groaned loudly, his entire body shaking with the renewed surge of pain coursing through it. He took a moment, and then slowly got to his feet- a pair of hands clinging onto his upper arm and helping him to his feet. He turned around and found that it was June that was helping him up.

"Sorry! I didn't mean to distract into falling over! Are you okay?" she asked him, her face a full mask of concern and guilt. Smithy eased up gradually.

"Don't worry about it, I'm fine" he replied, shrugging off her grip on his arm, and straightening up.

"You say that much more and you might actually start believing it yourself" June replied quietly, then shook her head as if to clear her mind. "Anyway I have come to give you a lift in to work" she told him. Smithy sighed gently, willing himself to ignore his friend's first comment.

"Cheers June" he eventually replied. He then followed her, very carefully, to her car and eased himself down into the passenger seat. The two travelled in silence to the police station, and headed straight to the sergeants' office to prepare for briefing. Smithy could barely move one foot and place it down in front of the other his exhaustion and agony was so great. When he finally made it through the door he collapsed into his desk chair, unable to move again even if he wanted to. June watched him; her heart beat speeding up in fear for her friend. Something was wrong, very wrong, decision made she left the office silently and went to the Inspector's office. She didn't even wait to be summoned in; she walked straight through the door, taking the Inspector by surprise.

"June? What is it?" Gina asked, her concern immediately raised.

"It's Smithy, I think you were right" June replied, heading out of the office back towards her friend, knowing that Gina would follow. The two women entered the office to find a very pale and shaking Sergeant Dale Smith just doing up the button on his epaulette. He looked up on hearing their entrance, and raised an eyebrow in question.

"Dale?" Gina asked softly, he looked worse than death warmed up- he looked seriously ill. Slowly Dale swung his gaze around to meet that of his senior officer's, and his steely look did little to lessen her fears. "Dale are you okay? You look very pale" Gina spoke very quietly so as to not push her friend away at all. Dale sighed, fed up of hearing the same question time and time again.

"I am fine dammit!" he practically yelled, which in itself was unusual for him. He winced against his own voice, not really intending on sounding as harsh as he had. "Sorry, I'm sorry ma'am" he told her, his tone deathly quiet, but still sincere. Gina smiled lightly.

"It's okay Dale, I am just worried about you that is all" she replied. Dale nodded slightly.

"Er I better go to briefing" he muttered before slowly leaving the room, but instead of going to the briefing room he headed slowly towards the toilets, knowing that his stomach was once more on the verge of rebelling against him. He went straight into a cubicle and allowed himself to slide to the floor, the room spinning around before his eyes as once more retching and dry heaves overtook him, leaving him further exhausted and breathless. He carefully got to his feet and headed to the sinks, bumping into Tony Stamp as he did so. Tony looked at the swaying form in alarm, guessing correctly that his friend was on the verge of collapse.

"Sarge?" Tony half greeted and half questioned, Smithy didn't even acknowledge him for fear that if he turned his attention anywhere else then he would find himself flat on the floor. After he had splashed water over his face and softly patted the still bruised skin dry he started heading down to briefing, Tony hot on his heels. As the two officers walked one after the other through the corridor, Dale stopped dead in his tracks, and reached for a wall, before Tony could move to catch him the younger man's knees buckled and he fell to the floor, the World a mass of darkness before he even hit the ground. Tony lurched forward into action, trying to prevent his head from hitting the floor.

"Sarge? Sarge?" he called out in desperation, yet Dale did not stir in his arms. "Help!" Tony yelled out, praying for someone to come. Whilst eh sat there he quickly checked for a pulse and breathing, when he found both, even though they were erratic he promptly put his friend in the recovery position. Looking up and finding Roger stood behind him, his face a mass of panic and concern. "Get an ambulance quick!" Tony prompted and Roger nodded, already putting the instruction into action.

End Chapter Eight

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	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

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Chapter Nine

The shift formed a cocoon around their fallen sergeant, mutterings filling the corridor. The figure lay as still as death on the floor, pulse racing and breathing shallow. His pallor whiter than death and his eyes closed and not flickering at all.

"Everybody move!" a voice boomed out behind the crowd, and the shift dispersed to allow the anxious inspector through. Gina gasped at the sight before her, her heart in her throat as she saw her close friend lying motionless on the floor. "June take this lot into the briefing room" she instructed her sergeant who immediately did as she was bid. Just at that moment Roger came dashing back.

"Control have put a call out to the ambulance, it is on its way" he gasped out, breathless from the pace that he had moved. Tony nodded in response, his gaze never leaving his poorly sergeant.

"What happened?" Gina asked, willing time to pass and the ambulance to arrive.

"I found him in the lou, he looked bad then was shaking like mad and pale as a ghost, and he didn't respond when I called his name. Anyway I followed him as he left and he just kind of buckled" Tony told his inspector, his fear and concern clear across his face. Gina nodded in acknowledgement.

"Roger please go and join the others in the briefing room" she instructed the PC, who reluctantly did as she asked. Gina then took his place kneeling beside his friend.

"I knew that this was going to happen" Tony stated quietly, his voice trembling in fear.

"What do ya mean?" Gina asked in confusion.

"Well he ain't been right since Louise has he ma'am?" Tony responded, summing the recent situation up perfectly.

"No Tony, no he hasn't" she replied, and then control was taken out of their hands by the arrival of the paramedics, Gina moved out of the way to allow them access to the officer.

"What's his name?" the younger one of the two asked.

"Dale, Dale Smith" Gina replied, frantic herself.

"Dale, Dale? Can you hear me?" the paramedic shouted at the fallen cop. No answer came. The two paramedics spoke to each other in hushed tones before carefully lifting Smithy onto the awaiting stretcher, placing an oxygen mask over the still face and nose. "We are going to head out to the ambulance to give some further treatment, are you two coming with us?" the first medic asked, and both officers nodded, following the stretcher out of the building. Smithy was gently lifted into the ambulance and his shirt unbuttoned, for a monitor to be put on his chest. Gina provided details that she knew by heart such as date of birth and address. The medic noted down the information that Gina gave onto the chart that would be handed to the doctor upon arrival at the hospital. He also noted down the oxygenation level and blood pressure, which seemed to give him some concern. He then listened to the respirations, and heaved a huge sigh before once more turning back to the officers beside him. "Has he had any injuries or illnesses that you know of in the last while?" he asked, the two exchanged a glance before Tony replied.

"He had a few bangs to the head just over a week ago, and also received some blows to the chest and stomach. He went to the hospital, but he walked out before they finished checking him out and I ain't sure if he went back" Tony told them, casting his gaze down to the ground in shame for not taking better care of his friend.

"Has he shown any symptoms of illness since?"

"He hasn't been right since. He has taken a lot of painkillers for headaches and he been unsteady on his feet a lot. He was physically sick the other night as well" Tony continued, his guilt rising with every word.

"Right then, we'll go straight through" the medic replied, his tone displaying the new found urgency with which we felt this case needed to be treated. Blue lights and siren on the ambulance literally flew to the hospital where Smithy was taken directly through to the resus area where the doctors and nurses ran test after test to discover what was wrong with the young man. Throughout the course of the tests Gina and Tony sat in the waiting area with a cup of coffee from a machine, each lost in their own thoughts of what they could have done to get Smithy help before it had come to this.

Meanwhile the mobile x-ray had been carried out, and the doctors shook their heads in surprise at the result, Smithy was promptly sent for a CAT scan to try and find out exactly what was going on. Whilst Smithy was sent for tests the doctor went to speak to the young man's colleagues.

"Hello there, I am Dr Stewart, I am taking care of your colleague," he told them, then taking them into the police room he explained fully what was happening. "At the moment PC Smith is having some tests. X-Rays have shown that there is a crack to his skull; this may indicate some further damage, which would provide an explanation for his recent ill health and his subsequent collapse. We have also discovered that he has three cracked ribs." Tony and Gina shook their heads in shock, how the hell had he kept going with those injuries. "At the moment we suspect that your friend is suffering from a serious head injury, the CAT scan will tell us exactly what is going on. I will update you as soon as I know anything else" the doctor told them, and then left the room leaving behind two very shell-shocked police officers.

"How the hell has he been at work this week with those injuries?" Gina asked out loud, voicing the question that they had both been thinking. Tony shook his head in confusion.

"I wish we had known" he said sadly, his fear for his friend raising a notch.

"He shouldn't still be unconscious" Dr Stewart spoke out loud, as he looked at the grey face of his patient. The heart monitor pulsed out a regular, if slightly fast rhythm, and the oxygenation wasn't perfect but was okay. The patient was being aided by the oxygen mask strapped to him face, and the IVs inserted in his arms. The officer's ribs were a mass of purple and blue vivid bruising, which stood out in perfect contrast against the paleness of his skin. The young doctor found it frustrating when it was clear what was wrong with someone, especially such a young and obviously generally healthy young police officer as the man who currently lay desperately ill for some unknown reason, sure he had his suspicions but he needed to wait to hear from the radiographer before he could begin to treat or refer his patient and that was what was frustrating. He whirled around just in time to find a very serious radiographer walking up behind him.

"Here's what we've got" the older man told his colleague as he pulled open the file containing the results of the tests.

"Oh sweet Jesus" Dr Stewart replied in shock, his mind whirling with what to do next.

End Chapter Nine


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Hey guys thanks once more for the fantastic response to the last chapter, please keep the reviews coming. It is quiet painless to just click on the little grey box in the bottom left hand corner and select review, so please give it a click! The chapters may not be as flowing this week as they were last week as I have a lot of work this week with various bits and bobs to do and some overtime, so please stick with it if there is a slight delay.

Chapter Ten

"What the hell is taking them so bloody long?" Gina asked, her frustration and fear spilling out. Tony shrugged in response, he had nipped out for a few minutes to ring Bob Cryer and let him know what was going on, the older man had been beyond frantic, as he immediately set off to the hospital on his bike, desperate to get to see Dale.

"I don't know, but I wish that they would hurry up" Tony eventually replied verbally, just as the words left his mouth the door to the police room swung open and the doctor entered, his mouth set in a grim line and his face looking very serious.

"How is he?" Gina asked abruptly, her tone crisp and to the point as ever.

"Please sit down" the doctor prompted them, gesturing to the chairs he joined them. When the three were seated the doctor continued. "As I previously told you, we were concerned that Dale had sustained an injury to his head, and that we needed tests to confirm this. These tests have now been carried out. We believe that Dale is suffering from a chronic subdural haematoma, this would have been caused by the initial head trauma from a week ago, as it has gone untreated a clot has formed on Dale's brain. The damage has been made worse by the length of time that has passed and as a result the brain has swollen up to a degree which has put further pressure on the inside of Dale's skull" Dr Stewart explained.

"I don't understand, how would banging his head have caused all this?" Gina asked, knowing that head injuries could be very serious, but not understanding how simply being hit around the head could cause someone to become so seriously ill.

"When Dale was struck around the head basically his brain banged against the inside of his skull, this caused a bruise to form and the little veins to break and start bleeding, which eventually led to the clot forming, unfortunately with patients in this condition there is inevitably a secondary clot where the brain sort of bounced back and hit the skull on the other side" the doctor explained, not really doing very much to make either officer feel any better or less anxious.

"So what happens now?" Tony asked, his voice croaking with emotion.

"Dale needs to undergo immediate urgent surgery" the doctor replied. "Now I need you to help me in getting the consent forms signed by his next of kin" he continued, desperate to get the surgery underway as soon as possible. "Do either of you know who we should be contacting?" the man asked.

"Er, yes that is me" Gina replied for once lost for words.

"Well that makes that easier, I will need a signature from yourself in order to obtain consent for the operation" the doctor replied.

"What are the risks?" Gina asked not willing to take her new found responsibility lightly.

"There are always risks involved in surgery, particularly brain surgery, however the risks of not operating are in this case far greater. If Dale does not have the surgery then gradually the pressure in his head will continually increase until eventually it will cause his death. I am not talking months here either I am talking days or possibly even hours. As it is there are risks that he may already be permanently debilitated. He could be left partially or completely paralysed, or with speech problems or personality changes. I am not trying to be overly pessimistic or scare you by telling you this, but I feel that you need to know exactly where we stand. The chances of Dale making a full recovery are good, he is young, fit and healthy and I am optimistic that, depending on the severity and extensiveness of the clotting, that he will recover just fine" the doctor continued, not willing to pull any punches in his explanation, handing Gina the form as he did so which she promptly signed and handed back to him.

"Just one more thing, you say that he has been taking painkillers?" the doctor asked and at heir nod continued. "You don't happen to know what type do you?"

"Er anything really certainly paracetamol and aspirin" Gina replied.

"Right that would explain that one then" the doctor finished and went to leave the room.

"Explain what?" Tony asked quickly.

"Oh sorry, aspirin thins the blood, that certainly won't have helped Dale at all" he told them, then really did leave the room.

"Jesus, does anything ever go right for him?" Gin asked softly, echoing Tony's thoughts.

The two officers sat waiting in the room for what felt like an eternity, finally Bob arrived, panting and puffing through the exertion of getting there quickly. Gina sat him down and explained to a shocked Bob what the doctor had told them. Just as she finished her explanation another doctor walked into the room.

"Hello there, I am Dr Connolly, I will be performing the surgery on Sgt Smith. I have scheduled the surgery for in the next half an hour so Dale will be prepped shortly; I just came to explain exactly what is going to happen next. Firstly we need to establish the severity of the clot, if it is a regular clot then we will drill holes through the skull and attempt to drain the blood away from his brain" he explained, causing a shudder to run through Gina at the thought of it. The kindly doctor squeezed her shoulder in encouragement. "If we are unable to drain the blood away in that manner then we will have to perform a procedure called a craniotomy. This is where we drill a larger hole into the skull and physically remove apart of the bone in order to get the larger or more solid clot out of his brain, when we have done that the bone will be replaced and secured like it had never been moved" the doctor told them, and Gina began biting her bottom lip in fear, she was terrified, she couldn't lose this young man who had grown to mean so much to her, looking around the room she realised the stark truth was that none of them could.

"Okay do it, but please take good care of our boy" she replied, her voice quivering as she suppressed her tears.

"I will, I will come and see you as soon as the procedure is complete. Would you like to see Dale before he goes in?" he asked softly, quickly realising that the four people involved here were far more than friends- they were family in all but name. All three nodded and he quickly led them through to see the patient. Gina rushed forward at the sight of the pale figure on the bed, he was still deeply unconscious and had a mask covering his mouth and nose to assist his breathing. She gasped at the sight of the bruises lining his abdomen and was shocked and appalled by the damage done to him. He looked so pale and vulnerable- which was a word she would never usually associate with her strong colleague.

"Oh Dale" she sobbed as she clutched onto his hand around the IV.

"We have already given him Corticosteroid medications in an attempt to reduce the swelling in his brain, hopefully it should make it easier to remove the clot." He told them and they nodded mutely, all too deep in shock by the turn in events over the last couple of days. "We really need to be making a move now" the surgeon told them "He will be taken through to get the anesthesic, and a tube will be put down his throat to assist him in his breathing throughout the procedure, one of you can stay with him through that, but only one I am afraid" he told them all and they nodded before exchanging a glance.

"I will go with him" Gina spoke up, selfishly unwilling to leave him. The doctor nodded unsurprised, and the two males stepped forward and each uttered words of luck and offered a strong squeeze of the hand to their friend before leaving.

"Okay then this way Inspector" the doctor prompted and with a nod the room was a flurry of activity as a group of nurses appeared and began wheeling the trolley out of the room, Gina following slowly behind, even with her own illness and subsequent treatment she didn't recall ever feeling so afraid. She stood back slightly whilst the doctors pulled equipment aroud her friend, and moved forward when prompted, once more taking hold of her colleague's hand clutching it tightly between both of hers. She watched in silence as the doctor injected a liquid into Dale's arm before watching the monitors carefully to judge the effects. With a nod she then tilted his head back, placed in a torturous looking metal object that Gina guessed was used to open the airway and guide the tube in, which was then inserted into the mouth in much the same way. With a little hum to herself the doctor then pulled the metal object away and fastened on a big harsh looking machine, before fastened the initial tube to the outside of Dale's mouth. With a grin she nodded to Dr Connolly that she was ready, and the older man stepped forward. "Okay then Inspector, Dale now has a tube to assist with his breathing, this is so that his body doesn't need to concentrate on anything else, we now need to shave some of his hair off so that we will be clear to start the procedure straight away" Gina nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Without another word a nurse stepped forward and shaved off patches of Dale's beautiful shiny dark hair, Gina had to look away from that, it hammered the situation home far to much. The doctor noticed her reaction and smiled grimly, this young man was lucky in the sense that he had friends and colleagues that cared so very much for him. "Okay Inspector, I am afraid that now you will have to leave" he told her, as the group prepared to go into the operating theatre. Gina nodded, she leant forward and planted a tender kiss on the pale forehead.

"Good luck Dale, don't you dare die on me" she whispered softly into his ear. Then with a final squeeze of his hand she left the room to join the others in their prayers.

End Chapter Ten

Please review!


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Thank you all for your wonderful reviews! I really appreciate every review that I get, and if you have signed in I try to reply using that new little reply function on Please keep reading and reviewing as it really does mean a lot.

Chapter Eleven

Gina sighed for at least the fifteenth time, she was stressed beyond belief and her body language was more than giving that fact away. Bob shot her a glance, but did not comment, knowing that she should be allowed to cope however she could.

"Someone had better let the relief know what is going on" Gina commented out of the blue. "I am going to bob out and give June a bell" she continued, stepping out of the small room and leaving the hospital. She clawed through her pockets and pulled out her packet of cigarettes- no smoking in uniform in public protocol going straight out of the window as she lit up desperately inhaling the nicotine and sighing in relief as the tobacco served to steady her frazzled nerves. After a moment she pulled her mobile phone out, and dialled the number of the sergeant's office with her shaking hands. The phone was answered after a couple of rings.

"Sun Hill sergeant's office June Ackland speaking" a soft voice answered. Gina wasted no time in speaking.

"Hi June, it's Gina Gold here"

"Oh thank God ma'am, how's Dale?" June asked the direction of her thoughts clearly evident.

"It isn't good news I'm afraid. Listen, I need you to get a car and come and pick me up from the hospital and then we'll get the relief together so that I can just tell them all in one sitting what is going on. I don't want Dale to be the subject of gossip and I don't want Chinese whispers going around" Gina told her trustworthy sergeant.

"Okay ma'am, I'm on my way now" June replied, and hung up grabbing some keys and setting off without delay. Gina remained outside to await June's arrival enjoying the reprieve her cigarette temporarily offered her. Gina's mind was in turmoil, she had taken the decision to temporarily leave the hospital, for sitting and waiting was making her worse and worse and forcing her mind to conjure up thoughts that she would rather not have in her mind. Dale was the closest thing that she had to a son, and she was not going to lose him without a fight. She shook her head to clear her depressing thoughts, she knew that if Dale made it through the surgery and the initial recovery then he was going to need all the care and support that she had to offer, and she was damn sure going to make sure that he got it. She pushed away from her position leant against the wall as she saw the beat car pull up in front of the entrance, treading on the cigarette to extinguish it she moved forward towards her awaiting sergeant.

"Ma'am" June greeted as her inspector stepped into the car and sat down on the passenger seat.

"Hi June!" Gina replied, glad to be in the car and away from the hospital. June set off immediately realising that Gina wanted to get back to the nick as soon as possible, get the announcement out of the way and then get back to the hospital.

"How is he?" June asked, unable to hold back any longer. Gina sighed rubbing her hands tiredly over her face.

"Poorly" she replied simply. "The doctor says that he had a chronic subdural haematoma" Gina told her friend. June looked around sharply, correctly realising that that meant a serious condition.

"How do they treat that?" she asked, her voice quivering with suppressed tears.

"He is in surgery at the moment, they have to drill a hole through his skull and drain the clots. They say that due to the amount of time that has passed without him getting any treatment that there is more chance of him having some long term side effects" Gina told her friend, the rest of her words cut off by the severity of a turn of the wheel and the police vehicle pulling into a bus stop. June applied the handbrake and took some deep breaths, calming her emotions.

"Is he going to make it?" she asked, unable to look at her superior for fear of her emotions breaking. Gina gently squeezed her friend's arm in what she hoped was a comforting gesture.

"They don't know. If he makes it through the surgery then his chances improve dramatically" she replied honestly. "I am only telling you all of this, I am going to give the relief the abridged version," she continued making sure that June fully understood that certain information was not to be shared. June took a moment to get her heart rate down to normal, and then restarted the car and headed back into the traffic towards sun hill. The rest of the drive passed in silence, with both officers lost in their own thoughts. June had already instructed the relief to convene in the briefing room, she knew that they were all extremely anxious to find out what was going on with their friend and colleague, she also knew that they were not going to like what they were about to be told.

A short time later the two officers pulled up in the back yard of the police station. They headed straight to the briefing room, not saying a word to each other the whole time. When the two women arrived the relief were waiting for them, a silence heavy in the air. Everyone immediately focussed all of their attention on the inspector and the sergeant that entered the room. Gina took up a position at the front of the room, whilst June kept standing near to the door.

"Thank you all for breaking off from whatever you were doing, I appreciate you all coming back in" Gina started, her mind trying to think of the best way of explaining the situation. "As you probably know, I am here to update you about sergeant Smith, I have no doubt that various rumours have been going around, so I wanted to take this opportunity to give you the true version of events. As you are aware just over a week ago Sgt Smith was held at gunpoint, during his capture he was struck around the head a number of times both by hand, feet and the gun itself. Sgt Smith has been suffering from headaches and fatigue since his attack, and today he collapsed as a result. The doctors at the hospital have diagnosed that Smithy has got a blood clot on the brain that was caused by the original injury. He is currently in surgery for this injury" Gina told the staff before her, receiving a number of gasps of shock, their sergeant had been that ill yet had managed to keep it hidden from them all.

"So what happens now ma'am?" Amber called out, concerned for her sergeant. Gina sighed and paused for a moment before replying.

"Now we wait, and whilst we wait we pray" she eventually replied.

End Chapter Eleven

Please review


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

Hey guys! Thanks again for the reviews, please keep them coming! What no update on Smithy in the last chapter? You mean I left you hanging wondering if he would survive the surgery of not? Me? Leave you hanging like that? Never! Oh well maybe……

Chapter Twelve

Finally the relief filed out of the briefing room, the mood sombre, every officer reflecting on the condition of their sergeant. Gina sighed, exhausted despite the hour of the day, June moved forward and gently squeezed her arm.

"I think that that went okay, considering" June told her softly.

"Yeah, they took it well. Obviously shocked, but okay" Gina replied. "Now I just have to go and tell the boss" she continued, sighing again as she left the room to head up to see Adam. Adam looked up when she entered, having been fully expecting the visit.

"How is he?" he asked, not bothering about greeting her, he was well aware of how close his inspector was to sergeant Smith, and he could understand the friendship since he also valued the young sergeant. Gina quirked her eyebrows in surprise.

"Sorry Sir, if I had realised that you knew about this morning's events I would have come straight up to speak to you before I announced to the troops" she told him, honestly she would of done.

"It's okay Gina, the gossip mill obviously works faster than you gave it credit for" he replied with a mild grin. "What exactly has happened?" Adam asked, concerned for his colleague.

"Smithy collapsed in the corridor this morning. He has had tests at St Hughes, and remained unconscious throughout. The doctor has told us that he has got blood clots on the brain and they are of the opinion that it was caused by a blow or series of blows to the head" she told him.

"Larson?" he asked fearing he already knew the answer.

"Yes sir" Gina affirmed for him.

"So this injury occurred a week ago?" he asked, disbelieving where this was heading.

"Yes sir, as well as cracked ribs and muscle damage to his chest" Gina replied.

"And Dale has been coming onto operational duties with these injuries?" Adam asked, both amazed and appalled.

"Yes sir, it seems that young Mr Smith decided that he did not have time to get properly examined by a doctor, so he left half way through an examination with a nurse and never went back to finish getting checked out" Gina informed him, her own mind boggling at quite how the younger man had managed it.

"He must have been in agony" Adam commented, and then seeing the flash of pain that that brought to the Inspector's face, he continued "What do the doctors say?" he asked.

"He is in surgery at the moment, they haven't given any exact promises and are being generally vague. They said that the amount of time without treatment may not work in Dale's favour, but given his age and general health and fitness they just don't know" she told him, her eyes downcast to the floor as she desperately tried to regain control of her emotions and force the positive thoughts back to the for front of her mind.

"Okay Gina, I will get in touch with his family, if I can find any of them. You can go back to the hospital and await news if you want to?" he asked her, knowing that that was exactly what she had already planned to do. She nodded just as he knew she would. "Okay you do that and keep me informed of anything that you find out, I will come to the hospital as soon as I have cleared this lot" he told her gesturing to the pile of urgent papers on his desk.

"Yes sir, I'll be in touch" she told him, and left the office with a weak smile to gesture her thanks.

Bob and Tony sat lost in their own thoughts and emotions, starring into cold plastic cups of coffee, no word had come to them for over two hours, and the stress was beginning to show. They were both fraught with anxiety; terrified that they may have lost their friend for him to never return, and they honestly didn't know what they would do if that was the case.

"How long do you think this kind of thing usually lasts?" Tony asked his one time sergeant. Bob sighed, rubbing his hands over his face in an attempt to wake himself up a little.

"I don't know, a while, I guess a few hours" Bob replied, unsure himself but unwilling to add to Tony's obvious fear.

"God I hope he pulls through, or I will never forgive myself" Tony muttered, more to himself than to anybody.

"What do you mean? Never forgive yourself for what?" he asked the younger man. Tony sighed, he hadn't fully intended for his long time friend to over hear his mutterings.

"I guess it was my fault, I mean I was ordered by the DCI to look after Smithy, and I saw that he wasn't keen on getting treated, he was too worried about Louise you see. Anyway I left him and went to get the nurse, and then I saw that he was walking out of the treatment area but I didn't go after him and drag him back. I suppose that if I had of done he would have been treated straight away and wouldn't be here having his head cracked open like this" Tony told his friend, feeling slightly better for getting his thoughts off of his chest. Bob looked at his friend in astonishment.

"You are joking?" he questioned, and when Tony looked at him with a shocked expression on his face, he continued. "Was it you that hit Smithy around the head with a pistol, or kicked him in the head for that matter? Was it you that dragged him out of the examination cubicle before he was treated? Was it you that stopped him from getting treated later? Was it you that made him come into work for a week with damaged ribs and a serious life threatening head injury? The answer is no! For Christ sake Tony you weren't to know that Dale hadn't gone back and got treated" Bob told his friend, not wanting him to feel worse than he already did. "It isn't Dale's fault, he thought that he was doing the right thing by coming into work, I guess that it was his way of coping with the whole break-up, he probably didn't realise himself how badly hurt he actually was, so how could you?" Bob continued, and he knew that his point had made its way home when he saw Tony nod and smile weakly in acknowledgement. The conversation was interrupted by the door swinging open and a figure stepping through. Both men looked up sharply thinking that the doctor had finally returned, they were marginally disappointed to see that it was Inspector Gold returning.

"Any news?" she asked as she stepped into the room.

"No nothing" Tony replied, his frustration showing clearly in his voice.

"Well I have updated the relief and the guv'nor" Gina told them, and then handed them each a cup of coffee that she had picked up from the coffee shop around the corner on her way back to them. "Mr Okaro is going to come to the hospital later, in the meantime he is going to try and track down any family that Dale may have" she informed them, and they smiled their gratitude at the decent drink, but made no comment on her news. With a huge sigh Gina took a seat down next to them, and the three sat back to wait once more.

Some time later the three were still sat in exactly the same positions, staring into space waiting for the doctor to come and update them, yet none of them leapt with joy when he finally pushed the door open and entered the room. The three looked up, fear and anxiety written over all of their faces. The posture of the doctor didn't serve well to ease their concerns. He stood with his shoulders slumped a dejected expression on his face and exhaustion shown in every part of his body language.

End Chapter Twelve

Please review, that is if you want to find out what has happened to our favourite police sergeant…….


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

Hi guys, sorry I was so cruel with leaving you for two chapters without knowing what had become of poor Dale, I promise that you will get some word on him in this chapter. Please keep reading and reviewing for this lowly author?

I am also sorry about the longer than usual delay, but I have been working like crazy and just haven't quite had the time. I will try and update a lot quicker this time!

Romy-Katherine- since you asked so nicely here it is…..

Chapter Thirteen

Gina gasped at his appearance, immediately fearing the worse.

"What's happened?" she asked, his voice barely above a whisper. The three one time colleagues huddled close together on the small sofa, offering each other silent comfort by their presence. The doctor sighed to himself, he was absolutely done in, and he knew that his present state was leading the police officers to jump to certain conclusions. Baring that in mind he allowed a small smile to grace his weary features.

"It's okay, Dale has come through the surgery" he told them, and all three released a breath that they hadn't realised they had been holding.

"Oh thank God" Gina whispered in immense relief.

"He was very lucky in that we were able to drain the clots without having to fully crack the skull. He remained stable throughout the procedure and is now in the recovery area" the tired doctor told them.

"What happens now?" Bob asked, relieved beyond measure yet still fearful for what obstacles Dale would have to overcome next.

"Shortly when the sedative has worn off he will be transferred up to ICU, where he will be carefully monitored, but from then I am afraid that it is up to Dale what happens" he told them, and all three nodded in understanding, Smithy had been weak beyond measure prior to his collapse, they just hoped that he had enough strength to complete the rest of his fight.

"Thank you doctor" Gina told him, and she did mean it sincerely. The three sat back their own exhaustion catching up on them, there was nothing more tiring than waiting for word about somebody you loved when they were in hospital.

"A nurse will come and get you when you can go and see him, meanwhile it might be worth someone perhaps going to his home and getting some stuff for him, razors pyjamas that kind of thing" he told them, and then with one weak smile he left the three to their thoughts. Bob stood up all of a sudden.

"I will go and get some stuff for him" he told them and Gina nodded gratefully, despite their very close relationship she very much doubted that Dale would want her rooting through his underwear drawer.

"Thank you Bob," she replied with the first genuine smile of the day. Bob left shortly after fully realising that the quicker he left the more chance he had of being back to go up and see Dale.

It didn't take Bob very long to get back to Dale's home, he was surprised that he had got there in one piece for his mind had been at St Hughes rather than on the road. He let himself into the warm house and hurried into his friend's bedroom. He promptly grabbed the overnight bag from under the bed and then headed into the bathroom. He quickly gathered together razor, shaving gel, deodorant and shampoo and placed them into a wash bag grabbing toothbrush and toothpaste as he did so. Placing the wash bag into the larger holdall he then turned his attention to the bed, looking for pyjamas and finding none he turned and opened the top drawer instead. He pulled out as many pairs of boxers as he could and put them all in the bag, then opened the next drawer down and took out some t-shirts. As soon as he had done that he grabbed hold of the aftershave that lay on the side and that followed a hairbrush into the bag. He looked around, smiling sadly at the photographs that graced the top of the tall boy, in them Smithy stood with his arm around Kerry Young, both young officers looking blissfully happy together. He knew how deeply Dale had felt for Kerry, but yet again fate had had other ideas and separated the two, cruelly, but permanently. He walked forward and picked up the picture turning it around in his hands and reading the hand written message on the other side.

_D,_

_Never apart again, I promise._

_I love you!_

_K_

Bob shook his head as the tears formed, Kerry had died far far too young, and whilst expecting a baby, Dale hadn't been the same since she had died, and Bob couldn't help but feel that somehow he had failed him by not being around when he had needed him. To lose the woman that you loved was tragic enough but whilst she was carrying a child that was understood to be his was incomprehensible. Bob carefully placed the photograph back where he had found it and turned his attention to the next one. Now that did bring a true smile to his face, it had been taken at the last Christmas party that he had worked at Sun Hill. He grinned at the happy drunken smiles that graced the features of him and Dale, not to mention June and Jim Carver, he shook his head lightly if only they had all known what the future had held for them, what would they have done differently? Would June have never got involved with Jim? Would Jim then still be working at Sun Hill? Would Kerry be alive? Would she and Dale be happily married raising their child? Or would things be just as they are now? Bob wasn't generally one for dwelling in the past, but the Dale Smith that grinned up at him from that photograph looked as though he didn't have a care in the World, whereas the Dale Smith that he held so dear now was a mere shadow of who he had been. He turned his attention away from the picture, his mood once more dampened in fear and concern for his surrogate son. Satisfied that he had everything that Dale would need for his stay, he placed a pair of jeans on top of the bag and left, turning out all but one of the lights and locking the door behind him left the house.

Bob arrived back at the hospital just in time to bump directly in Adam Okaro, who had joined the other two officers in the police room, sparing Bob a quick nod he turned his attention straight to Gina.

"How is he?" he asked, his concern genuine for a fellow human being. Gina sighed.

"Still holding on, he got through the surgery okay, but they said that now the fight is up to him. I just hope he has the strength" she replied, shocking even herself with her reply. Adam nodded sadly. "Any joy with his family?" she asked, her tone hopeful even though his brain new the likely answer. Adam's face clouded over at her question.

"No joy whatsoever. I did manage to speak to his mother, if you could call her that" he replied, shocking Gina with the anger to his voice.

"What did she say?" Bob asked, his curiosity piqued, for Dale had never been willing to discuss his family life whatsoever, he would talk vaguely about his army days but never even mention a family Christmas or birthday celebration, Bob had his suspicions as to why, yet never pushed for any further details.

"As soon as I introduced myself, she told me that she wasn't interested" Adam told the three before him "I got in that it was about Dale, and she sounded like she wanted to listen but something was stopping her and she just said that he was no concern of hers anymore and hung up the phone on me" the senior police officer told them.

"Bitch" Tony muttered, his own blood boiling at the callousness of the woman.

"No, not a bitch" Gina corrected the junior officer. "She's a coward, which where your own son is concerned is far worse" The others found that they could not argue with that sentiment.

"Anyway, suffice to say that no family are going to be coming" Adam added.

"They don't need to, we're already here" Tony told them, the sincerity clear in his fearful eyes. The others nodded, they were family, after all they probably knew far more about Dale than any of his blood relations ever did.

Some time later a young blonde haired nurse entered the room, she smiled gently at the four anxious people.

"Mr Smith is just being moved up to ICU, if you would like to follow me I can arrange for you to go and see him once he is settled, although it will only be two at a time" she told them. Gina smiled gratefully in reply for all of them and then the group followed her to the lifts and through the hospital.

"Are you okay?" Adam whispered softly to his inspector, knowing that the entire situation was hurting her more than she was letting on.

"I will be when Dale is" she replied honestly. Adam simply squeezed her arms, words would be of no comfort at the moment, at least not his words.

End Chapter Thirteen

Please Review!


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

Hey again! Thanks for all the wonderful reviews, and thank you for checking out my Christmas story and reviewing that as well! Please keep the reviews coming, it makes me smile when I check my e-mails and see the reviews waiting! Sorry for the delay, but things are majorly busy at the moment with work- especially with the silly season upon us. Please review!

Chapter Fourteen

The four sat as they were directed, awaiting permission to see their colleague, in silence. Gina looked up as she heard footsteps approaching, and a nurse appeared in front of them.

"Mr Smith is settled in his room now if you would like to see him" she told them with a friendly smile. Gina nodded.

"Two at a time is it?" she asked, and the nurse looked quizzically at her.

"Officially yes, but I won't tell if you won't" she told them with a slight wink. Gina nodded her thanks to the young nurse and the four headed to the room as directed. Gina had to stifle a sob at the sight before her; it was far worse than she had ever expected. Her friend lay flat out on his back, his skin as pale as the sheets beneath him. His head was swathed in white bandages that completely hid his dark hair. The view of his face was almost obscured by the still present ventilator tubes. Monitors were connected to his chest, beeping out to the rhythm of his heart, and his hands had bandages and plasters on them from IVs and his finger had a clip attached that monitored the amount of oxygen in his blood. The sight of the police sergeant hammered home how seriously ill he actually was, and with a sob escaping her stricken throat the inspector launched herself forward to stand directly beside the bed and grabbed hold of the free hand between both of her own, curling her fingers around the limp ones of her friend. She squinted at the group behind her, her vision blurred by the tears formed in her eyes.

"Look at him" she muttered, her heart literally breaking at the sight of him. Adam rushed forward and enveloped her into his arms, being careful not to pull her away from the grip she had on the pitiful figure laid on the bed beside them.

"Dale is strong, he'll be fine. A few weeks and he will be chasing the nurses and begging to be released" he tried to console her. She finally released the tears that she had been holding onto since Dale had collapsed, Adam held her tenderly until she had cried every tear that she had. Tony and Bob stood off to the side. Allowing the broken woman her moment to share her emotions and then reign them back in. When she had managed to regain control, she turned her attention back to her friend. Tony approached her from behind and pushed a chair up behind her.

"Thank you" she told him sincerely as she sat down, her hand never relinquishing it's grip on Dale's, as he released his grip on the chair, Tony looked closely at his sergeant, he looked absolutely awful, yet he was alive and for that the constable was grateful.

"He's gonna be just fine, he's too stubborn not to be" Tony told his boss. "I think I might go back to the nick, keep the others up to date and all that" he told her, and she nodded gratefully. In truth Tony felt helpless, and the area car driver did not like feeling like that, at least by going back to the station he felt like he was doing something. As Tony left Bob moved around the other side of the bed and sat down mirroring Gina's position. Adam sighed as he stood directly behind his inspector.

"Gina I am going to catch a lift with Tony and go back to the office. You can consider yourself on leave for as long as you need" he told her kindly. "Please let me know if you need anything whatsoever" he continued, she turned around and grinned up at him touched by the way that he had known exactly what she was going to ask him for before she even needed to utter the words.

"Thank you Adam" she told him, once more blinking back tears. He smiled sadly at her before leaving the private room and following behind Tony.

"Do you really think that he will pull through okay sir?" Tony asked his boss once they were in the car. Adam sighed, how did you answer a question like that? He knew the answer that Tony wanted, he just wasn't sure that he was able to.

"I think he has a long hard fight against him, but Dale is a natural fighter" he replied, hoping that that would satisfy the constable. Tony nodded, he knew that his question had been unfair, after all who could say what fate had in store for anyone? Adam simply sat back and hoped that he had spoken the truth, the rest of the journey passed unsurprisingly in silence.

Gina just sat and stared at her friend, she was more than aware that there was little hope of him waking up within the next few hours, yet she really couldn't bring herself to leave him, just on the off chance that he did wake up- she couldn't bare for him to wake up alone and in pain not understanding what had happened. She looked across the bed and saw her own emotions reflected on the face of the former sergeant who sat across from her. Bob looked like he was ready to break any moment and he also looked exhausted.

"Bob why don't you back to Dale's place and get some sleep?" she suggested, and he looked up at her as if he had forgotten that she was there.

"I don't want to leave him" he replied, his tone small and quiet.

"I just thought that if you went and got some sleep now whilst I stay with him, and then we can swap for a few hours later" she reasoned, herself completely unwilling to leave the young man, but not wishing to sound selfish. She desperately wanted to be there when Dale woke up. Bob seemed to consider her suggestion for a few moments before replying.

"That is a good idea, but I think it should be the other way around. I am sure you don't want to sit here in your uniform all day, why don't you go and get changed and have something to eat and then come back. When you get back I will go and get some sleep and you can stay here" Bob suggested, and despite not really wanting to agree there was no way that she could argue with the logic in what he had said. She smiled slightly at him.

"Okay then Bob that is a good idea" she told him, getting to her feet and instantly making up her mind that she was going to find the fastest taxi driver in London and make the quickest change of clothes ever. "I be back soon" she told him. She then leant forward and placed a gentle kiss on Dale's forehead. "You had better be waiting for me" she told him softly, not even letting the thought of him leaving them enter his mind. With one last glance over her shoulder she left the hospital and headed home for a brief visit.

Gina was true to her thoughts and the cab driver had her home within half an hour, she instructed him to wait outside her home, and she dashed in. She promptly threw a McCains Panini into her microwave and dashed upstairs pulling off her uniform as she went. She dragged her jeans off the floor and reached into her wardrobe for a warm roll neck jumper, finally she pulled on her flat boots and ran back down stairs, just as the microwave beeped at her. She took it out of the microwave and poured herself a glass of water. Within five minutes she had eaten her snack and grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge and was dashing back out to the awaiting cab. She made it back to St Hughes less than two hours after she had left it.

Bob looked up in amazement as Gina came hotfooting it back into Dale's room, changed and back from her break.

"Any chance?" she asked between her gasps for breath.

"No, no chance, that was quick" he commented.

"Yeah well only had to get changed and have some lunch, traffic is really light" she replied. Bob looked at his watch and noticed that it was five thirty in the evening right in the height of London's rush hour. He refrained from commenting, but got to his feet not willing to break his word by not leaving for his break.

"Okay then. I will see you both in a few hours" he told her, gently squeezing Dale's hand as he left the room. As Bob had stepped out Gina slumped back in her chair exhausted, she looked over at her friend and noticed that he still looked terrible. His handsome face pale and bruised from the vicious attack.

"Dale I am telling you that if you don't get through this okay, then you are demoted and I might even consider sacking you" she told him, she honestly couldn't imagine sun hill without Dale Smith now, come to that she couldn't' imagine Gina Gold without him either.

End Chapter Fourteen


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

Wow! Thank you for the wonderful reviews, and for being understanding about the gap in updating again. To be honest I am struggling to find time to post this story at the mo, what with working silly hours, all the Christmas shopping and wrapping and Tae Kwon Do/Kickboxing training there just aren't enough hours in the day! Anyway I will try to update again before Christmas!

Please keep the reviews coming!

Chapter Fifteen

Gina opened her eyes, her mind confused, as it caught up with where she was. She lifted her head and looked around, finally recalling that she was in a hospital room, but why? Her head snapped up as she remembered Dale. She looked at the pale figure on the bed and all of the sadness of the day caught up with her. She didn't know how or when she had fallen asleep but she knew that her body regretted it. Her neck ached from her position, she had fallen asleep with her head resting on Dale's still hand. Dale's still hand? That was what had woken her! Jumping to her feet she moved forward, yet was disappointed to find that his eyes were still pressed shut.

"Dale?" she called. "Dale can you hear me?" she asked her voice slightly louder. "Squeeze my hand if you can hear me?" she pleaded, desperate for him to wake up. At first there was nothing and her excitement sunk a notch, then there was the merest twitch as his grip tightened around his hand. "Oh Dale thank god!" she stated, tears rolling down her face in relief that at least there was some life in her friend. "I am just going to lean over here and press this button to call a nurse" she told him as she pressed the call button. A second later a nurse appeared in the room. "He's waking up, he's squeezing my hand," she told the nurse, the grin on her face telling the story as much as her words did.

"I will just have to go and get the doctor" the nurse told her softly. Gina turned her attention back to her friend and found his eyelids twitching as he struggled to open his eyes. Gina laid a soothing hand gently on the bandage-covered forehead, hoping to calm her friend.

"It's okay, you're going to be just fine now. The doctor will be in in a moment" she told him softly. Dale's head jerked softly to one side, and his eyes promptly squeezed tightly shut as agony shot through him. His fingers tightened their grip around the Inspector's hand, yet she wasn't even certain that he was aware she was there.

The World was dark and the pain pulsed through his head continually, worse than any pain he had felt before. His eyes wouldn't open no matter how hard he tried and his whole body felt weak and unresponsive. He tried desperately to raise his hand, yet no movement occurred. His head spun despite his lack of movement and he had no idea where he was or what had happened. Through the fog in his brain he heard a voice, a soothing and calm woman's voice that was familiar to his muzzy mind. Carefully he tried to concentrate on that voice, but as much as he tried he couldn't make out the words or decipher whom it was. He tried to speak to ask what was going on, but his voice would not work- there was something in his mouth that stopped any sound from emerging and stopped his breath from being drawn when he tried.

Gina looked in alarm as Dale began to violently twitch, his motions panicked, she promptly moved forward and spoke to him trying her damnest to reassure the obviously terrified man.

"Shh, Dale, it's okay you're all right." She repeated over and over, all of a sudden she heard an abrupt gasp, and with alarm noticed that Dale was trying to fight with the ventilator tube down his throat, she pressed the call button with renewed urgency, desperate for somebody to come and help her friend before he choked. She once more caressed his bandaged head, and was at first relieved and then terrified when she found pale eyes starring back at her, eyes that she had feared she would never see again and now eyes that she feared would haunt her for the rest of her life- for she had never seen such pain so evident before.

Gina could have hugged the doctor when he finally came into the room, he stood directly in the younger man's line of sight, yet it was clear that Dale was not seeing him. His head jerked in panic and then closed up in agony at the movement. Gently the wise doctor took hold of the young man by the chin and held his head still so that he had to look at him.

"Dim the lights" he instructed the nurse stood nearby, well aware that it would be hurting the officer's head a million times more than it already was. Once he was satisfied that the room was dim enough he looked directly into the glazed orbs of the police sergeant, pushing his head back slightly to open up the airway and ensure that the ventilator could do its job properly.

"Dale, can you blink for me if you can hear me?" he requested, deliberately keeping his voice at a whisper. Dale blinked once, and Gina sighed in relief. "Dale do you know where you are?" the doctor asked, and no response came at all, just a confused stare. "You collapsed at work and were brought here by ambulance. You are currently in St Hughes hospital, do you understand?" he asked softly and Dale blinked once more. "You have had an operation to remove a clot in your head, you are still very poorly, so I need you to relax as much as possible, do you understand what I have told you?" he asked, keeping his explanation simple on purpose. Dale blinked again, and then with a concerted effort using every scarp of energy that he possessed he weakly lifted his arm as much as he could and pointed at the tube in his throat, his meaning very clear to those in the room. The doctor chuckled lightly to himself, already realising that as the officer got stronger he was going to have a real battle on his hands. "Dale I need to leave the tube in for now. You have only just had surgery and your body is extremely tired and weak, I want you to just relax and not fight the tube, I know that it feels uncomfortable now but as you get used to it you won't notice it. In a day or so I will reconsider" he told him, smiling as he replied. Dale didn't acknowledge what he said so he continued. "In a moment I am going to give you a pain killer that will hopefully dim the pain and help you get to sleep, I am also going to give you an anticoagulant to try and stop any further clots from forming" he told his young patient. "In the mean time your Inspector here is keeping you company" at this Dale looked confused, but finally understood that that was why the voice was familiar, explanation obtained and consciousness once more slipping away, he finally closed his eyes and allowed the darkness to take him into its clutches once more.

Gina sat back in exhaustion, seeing Dale so lost and confused was almost worse than seeing him unconscious, yet she knew that the first moments of awareness signalled a battle won. She sighed and rubbed her hands over his tired face as she watched the doctors checking on Dale's progress, she desperately wanted them to tell her that he was going to be fine and home within a week as good as new, yet she knew it wasn't going to happen. She could see the serious expression on the doctors face and she had seen the fear and pain on the pale face of her colleague and somehow she knew that this was the first of many battles left to fight and each one was going to be progressively harder, she just hoped and prayed that Dale cared enough about himself to keep the fight going.

End Chapter Fifteen


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

Thank you once again to my loyal reviewers! I love the reviews that I get and I am very glad that people seem to be enjoying this story, please keep reading and reviewing it means a lo! This will be the last chapter posted before Christmas, but I will try to post before new year!

Keep the reviews coming!

All of you have a very merry Christmas/ Holiday season!

Chapter Sixteen

Bob sat up as wakefulness returned, he had slept soundly and felt refreshed by his few hours rest. He swung his legs over the bed and rubbed his face to clear the cobwebs of his mind, it was only then that he remembered where he was, and more to the point why, and all of a sudden his heart sank once more as thoughts of his friend's current condition filled his mind. He sighed to himself and getting to his feet headed to the bathroom, keen to return to his adopted son as soon as possible.

Tony sighed as he hung his body armour up in his locker, the longest shift in the world was finally over. He had hardly been able to concentrate throughout the day, his mind still firmly on St Hughes, he had heard nothing about the condition of his sergeant since his return to the police station, but he supposed that the saying was right and no news was in fact good news. Everyone had been subdued all day, that is after he had immediately received a barrage of questions when he first got back to the nick. He had told the relief that Smithy had made it through surgery okay, but that any further news would be a waiting game. He could tell that a lot of his colleagues were disappointed by his answer, as if they had expected their sergeant to be miraculously cured in the same day as his collapse. More than once Tony had wished that he had just stayed at the hospital. Mind made up he quickly pulled on his civilian clothes that were left in his locker and headed straight out of the door, refusing to be distracted by anybody on the way, for he knew that if told them where he was heading they would want to accompany him, and that would just not be practical as the hospital.

Bob got to the hospital fairly quickly, most of the days traffic having already passed. He headed straight up to Dale's room and was concerned to see it full of various medical persons, he peered in and caught Gina's eye, gently slowly to her feet she got up and left the room to join the older man.

"Hi Bob, you didn't need to hurry that much" she told him, and he ignored her comment.

"What's going on?" he asked, his tone clearly conveying his fear.

"Dale woke up!" Gina told him.

"What and you didn't phone me?" Bob responded, irritated that he had not been told.

"Sorry Bob, but there was no time. When he woke up he was so confused and scared he didn't even know who I was. And then after a moment when he managed to open his eyes he was in agony, I couldn't leave him alone. When the doctor came in he was still confused but wanted the tube removing, which the doctor says is not going to happen for a day or so, anyway Dale was in so much pain that they had to drug him and he was asleep again less than two minutes after he woke up, and then the doctors have been here since and I didn't want to leave in case there was any more information that I could find out from them" Gina explained truthfully. Bob nodded his head, now his anger had had a chance to subside he could understand why she hadn't left the injured officer alone whilst she went to call him, in honesty he would have done the same thing.

"Sorry Gina, I do understand. Have they told you anything yet?" he asked her, and she shook her head in response, yet before she could verbalise her reply the doctor approached them both.

"Might I have a word for a moment?" he asked them both, and they nodded before following him. "Mr Smith appears to be stable, his blood pressure is still a bit of a concern, and I fear that he would probably struggle to breath on his own at the moment if we were to remove the tube. The extreme pain that he experienced is to be expected given the seriousness of the original injury and the subsequent surgery. We need to keep a close eye on him, and when he next wakes up and grows a little stronger we will be able to do a more thorough assessment to see what, if any, damage has been caused" he told them..

"Thank you doctor" Gina replied. "Can we go back in now?" she asked softly, not wishing to be separated from him for too long should he wake up in the same state as last time.

"Of course you may" the doctor replied with a smile, knowing full well that he would more than likely have had a battle on his hand should he choose to deny her simple request. Gina grinned lightly in response, having a good idea where the doctor's thoughts were leading. But willing to use anything to her advantage if it meant she got to spend more time with Dale.

"Don't you want to go and get some sleep?" Bob asked her once the doctor had left.

"No, no Bob I am fine. To be honest I drifted off and got some sleep while you were gone, Smithy woke me up" she confessed, feeling slightly guilty that the injured man had woken her when she was supposed to be ensuring that he didn't wake up on his own. She sighed and once more took up her position beside the bed, Bob sat opposite her and for a while the two sat in complete silence.

"How did you and Smithy get so close?" Bob asked her after a while, curious as to how the two people from different Worlds could become so close.

"I don't know really. I guess it started when Smithy first came back to Sun Hill as shift sergeant. At the time I thought that it was less than ideal that the sergeant on the shift had also served as a PC, but once I got to know him I found that it was perfect. At first it was too casual you see, the likes of Tony and Reg who had known him when he first joined the shift, apparently quite cocky but young in service. They both had ten years more experience than him and I guess still saw him as their junior, anyway Dale found it hard to try and tell the shift what to do, he still saw himself as on the same level and the distance wasn't forming. Anyway I kind of stepped in and tried to help, but it was Dale himself that put all of the effort in and he soon had the balance between supervisor and boss just right" Gina explained, "Anyway we got a kind of professional respect for each other, and then when the whole thing with Gabriel started and Dale shared his suspicions with me we grew to become friends, but I realised just what a good friend he is to have when I became ill, and he supported me but respected my wishes" she told him, honestly and the more she thought about it the more she realised just how lucky she was to have someone as loyal as Dale in her life. "What about you? How did you two become so friendly?" she asked, genuinely interested into how the two men had become friends. Bob chuckled lightly before replying.

"Well at first we weren't. I found him quite arrogant to be honest, then there was just something about his general bluntness that made me start to respect him. He worked so hard to prove himself on the shift, prove that he was a good bobby and not just all mouth- and he really is a good copper" he told her, and she nodded for he did not need to convince her, she already knew. "Anyway when he started talking about SO19 it was like it was the first thing that I had ever seen him so excited about. You could tell that he really wanted it, and with his army training he would be bloody good at it. Anyway I helped him throughout his application and I just knew that he would do well in the Met, don't get me wrong I didn't want him to leave the shift, but there was just something about him that was naturally so likeable that I found myself just wanting him to do what made him happy. When he got in and showed himself to be the asset that I knew he would be, he stayed in touch. Anyway they next time I Saw him was that fateful day" he told her, and Gina immediately knew what he was referring to, as despite him being totally unwilling to discuss it with her she knew that Smithy still had nightmares about the day of that hostage situation, and she knew that he would never forgive himself for what had happened that day. "Anyway I knew that it was an accident pure and simple, Dale was just unlucky, hell I was unlucky! But there was no malice or arrogance involved in his decision, even though I know he will never forgive himself or fully believe that I hold no blame towards him, there was nothing that could have happened differently and if anything my respect for him grew when I saw how he handled himself afterwards, and how he took everything that was to come on the chin. We've stayed in touch on and off ever since, I just wish that it had been more on than off lately and then maybe I could have done something" Bob commented sadly, the mood in the room thickening with regrets and guilt.

"I am sure that if Smithy had been able to talk things through with anybody then you would have been the first person that he would have called" Gina tried to console the former sergeant, and Bob shot her a weak smile in gratitude at the sentiment. The two sat back once in more, allowing the silence to wash over them as their attention was fully focused on the bed before them. Luckily they were staring so intently at their friend, for if they hadn't of been they may not have noticed something.

Tony entered the hospital room, just as Bob was attempting to dash through it.

"Mind Tony! I need the doctor" he yelled over his shoulder as he headed down the corridor, Tony looked into the small hospital room in alarm, and immediately walked over to the bed, where Gina was leaning over Smithy, clutching a wad of tissues against his nose. Tony looked in fear at seeing the crimson flowing from the nose and standing out starkly against the formerly white pillows. The blood pumped from his face, and showed no signs of letting up at all.

"Shh Dale, its okay a doctor is coming, you'll be fine" Gina whispered to her friend in an attempt to sooth him, but the pale eyes, that stared back at her, consumed in pain and fear clearly told her that her attempt had failed.

End Chapter Sixteen

There ya go quite a long chapter for you! Don't forget to press the little grey button in the bottom corner and submit your review! Merry Christmas!


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

Thank you once again for all of the reviews! Please keep them coming in!

Happy New Year! Hope you all have a fab time on New Years Eve night, remember to be safe, and don't you worry about those of us that are working all night!

Chapter Seventeen

Smithy's panicked eyes locked onto the concerned face of his inspector, he desperately tried to talk but the tube inhibiting his throat made it impossible. Gina looked on in fear at her friend. She had never been as relieved to see the doctor before, when he came dashing into the room. The next five minutes passed in a blur, and Gina would not have been able to recall a single word spoken had she been asked. Finally the doctor smiled lightly and squeezed Dale's shoulder gently.

"It's okay there is no need to panic. I am sorry I should have warned you about this. You have experienced a severe nosebleed; this has been caused by the anticoagulants that you have been prescribed. Unfortunately it is not uncommon, although in your case it has bled a lot heavier than one might expect. I am going to reduce the dose of the drug and hopeful that will prevent any further occurrences" the doctor told them, and had he been able to Dale would have sighed in relief, as it was he settled for just nodding slightly in response, before allowing his tired body and spirit its much needed reprieve by closing his eyes and once more letting the darkness envelope him in his sleep. As she saw her friend once more drift off Gina sighed in relief, she had been terrified that something else was wrong with her friend, and that she has been about to lose him after all. The doctor scribbled something down on the chart in his hand, before casting a final glance around the room and leaving to complete his rounds. Tony, Bob and Gina all released a breath that they had not realised they had been holding, for once more they feared that they had another memory that would haunt them for the rest of their lives.

Sometime later the three still sat in silence around the bed, not really knowing what to say in response to the incidents of the day. Just a day ago they had been concerned for their friend, but they had never expected anything like today, and that was part of what scared them so much.

"Jesus" Gina whispered under her breath, her simple exclamation expressing what no one else had been able to verbalise.

"Hell yeah" Tony responded, shocking the other two occupants with his words, he had found himself terrified, the amount of blood- it looked like his sergeant was bleeding to death and no way of stopping it, yet it was just a 'simple' side effect of the drugs? He sighed, he was having trouble keeping his thoughts on track this day enough, but then to walk back and find your friend covered in and drowning in his own blood- the whole thing was so surreal he kept expecting to wake up and find that the whole thing was just a disturbing nightmare, yet it never happened.

It was hours later before Smithy showed any signs of life again, by which time Tony had gone home for some much needed sleep after his days work. Smithy blinked several times as his confused orbs darted around the room, desperately trying to clear his thoughts and work out where he was, and more importantly why. Finally his pain filled gaze locked onto the pale face of Gina Gold, he reached his arm up weakly and managed to grasp her hand in his, before lowering them both down to the bed.

"Do you need anything?" Gina asked him softly, knowing that his head was paining him. He nodded softly before raising his other arm half way and pointing once more at the tube in his throat. Gina chuckled lightly; she was pleased to see that Dale hadn't lost his personality in his current predicament. "Stop being stubborn the doctor has already said that he won't take that out until he thinks you are strong enough" she told him, and had to laugh again at the roll of his eyes. "Please be patient Smithy, the doctor knows what is best" she told him, and was startled by a voice behind them.

"Yes he does" the doctor commented, with a twinkle in his eye as he moved across to his patient. "Is Mr Smith nagging about the vent again?" he asked, with a smile in his voice. Gina had to smile in response.

"Yes Dr, he appears to want it removing" she replied smiling. Bob sat back grinning to himself, he knew that Smithy was going to push himself as hard as possible in his recovery, but he also knew that at the moment he had no choice in how far he could be pushed and that was what was frustrating the headstrong young man. The doctor set about noting down various readouts from the monitors surrounding the patient, including blood pressure and oxygenation levels. Finally he stood back and looked Dale straight in the eye.

"Okay then Sgt Smith, how about we take that tube out for you?" He asked with a smile, and Dale nodded tiredly, unable to smile through the restriction of the tube. The doctor nodded at the nurse who wheeled in a trolley with a small tray and some water on it. He then pulled on a pair of protective rubber gloves and stepped to the head of the bed. "Now this is going to be very uncomfortable, and probably make you need to retch. What I need you to do is to breath in as much as you are able, and when I say so exhale whilst I remove the tube, okay?" he explained, and was relieved to one more receive a slight nod from his patient. "Okay then breath and in…. and now out" he told him as he gently and carefully pulled the tube over, as soon as it was out he assisted Dale in rolling to one side where he coughed and spluttered until finally he was able to draw a breath. "Now your throat is going to be very sore for a few days, so try not to talk too much okay? The nurse will be in in a moment to provide you with a nasal cannula that should assist you for the time being" The doctor explained, then he patted the younger man on the shoulder and left the room. Gina looked relieved that she was able to see Dale's full face now.

"Ma'am" he greeted her with a tired smile and a croaky whisper.

"Shh Smithy you don't have to say anything" she told him, eager for him not to overstrain himself.

"What happened?" he asked softly, confused as to exactly what had happened.

"What do you last remember?" she asked.

"I dunno, it's blurry. Erm Bob" he replied, and both of his friends understood that he meant Bob arriving on his doorstep.

"Yes Bob is here, two days after Bob arrived at your house you collapsed at work, luckily Tony Stamp was with you so you didn't do yourself more damage. You have had a head injury that they have had to operate on and that is why you are here" Gina explained keeping her voice low.

"Okay now?" he asked his voice weakening even more due to the misuse of the day.

"You're getting there darling, you're getting there" she replied, to which he nodded lightly before drifting off into a healing sleep.

End Chapter Seventeen

Happy New Year everyone! Please review!


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

Thank you all for the wonderful reviews. I apologise for the delay in updating, but I have been away on a lovely holiday in the sun! Please keep the reviews coming!

Chapter Eighteen

Gina breathed a huge sigh of relief, she had never been quite so happy to hear her sergeant's voice before. Everyone at Sun Hill knew how she felt about Dale Smith, right there and then she swore to herself that she would be there throughout Dale's recovery- no matter what he had to say about it. He had been through so much and yet he was not even thirty years old yet.

"Bob?" Gina whispered softly so as to not wake the patient. Bob looked up immediately at the voice. "Do you mind if I pop out for a bit, I just need to sort a couple of things so that I will be free to stay as long as Dale needs me?" she asked softly, not truly wanting to leave her friend, but knowing that she couldn't hold off on signing some court documents for forever.

"Of course Gina, I meant to prompt you to go and get some air actually" Bob responded, pleased to see the Inspector was voluntarily vacating her hospital chair. She nodded in acknowledgement.

"I won't be long" she told him and with a soft kiss for her friend and a weak smile for Bob she turned and left the hospital- a decision that she would later live to regret.

"It's just you and me now then son" Bob spoke softly to his friend, pleased to finally have time alone with him. "I am glad to see that you have listened to what we have been saying for once and are fighting this. I knew you could do it. You are too strong to give up" Bob told his surrogate son, words that he would later doubt.

Gina arrived at Sun Hill to find June Ackland still working away in the sergeant's office.

"June? What are you doing here?" Gina asked softly, surprised given the late time of the day.

"Ah hello ma'am, I am just finishing off the handovers and tasking" June replied, Gina sighed gently.

"Sorry June, I completely forgot that you were doing the work of two, has Adam arranged for someone to act up tomorrow?" Gina asked, her mind had been so focussed on Smithy that she had practically forgotten the gap that his illness would force him to leave.

"Yes don't worry everything here will be in hand" June replied, keen to not add any further worries onto her Inspector. "Anyway enough of that, how is he?" June asked, her own concern for the man that meant a lot to her as a friend leaping to the forefront of her mind.

"He is getting there, he gave us a bit of a scare earlier with a severe nosebleed- but apparently it was a reaction to the drugs that he is on. They took him off the ventilator an hour or so ago, and he is just sleeping now" Gina explained.

"Did he speak to you?" June asked keen to obtain as much information as possible.

"Yes only briefly he was very confused but he knew who he was and he knew me and Bob so I guess that that is a good thing" Gina told her, and June sighed, relieved to hear that things seemed to be improving.

"How did the relief take the news?" Gina asked, knowing that after today she would be too focussed on helping Smithy with his recovery that she would be unlikely to return to the station.

"They were shocked, and obviously extremely concerned as you would expect. Most of them were keen to pop by the hospital to see him, but obviously I nipped that one in the bud pretty sharpish" June told her, and Gina had to grin at the thought. "However I would like to see him, do you think that that would be okay?" June asked, her tone uncertain. Gina smiled lightly.

"I don't see any reason why not. I have just got some paperwork that I need to sign off and file for the CPS, why don't you come back to the hospital with me?" Gina offered, June smiled.

"Brilliant, I'll go and get changed and then I'll come back up here just yell me when you are finished" June responded.

It was only a matter of an hour before June was showered and changed and was ready to go and visit her friend, she wandered back down to the Inspector's office where she found Gina signing what looked like one of the last in a long line of files for submission for court.

"You all ready?" Gina asked her sergeant.

"Yes ma'am, do you need a hand with anything?" she asked.

"No, no thanks June, I am finished here. You ready to go?" she asked picking her handbag up from her desk and getting to her feet in relief. June nodded and pulled her car keys out of her pocket.

"We may as well go in my car, as I should imagine you will be staying at the hospital for some time?" June commented and Gina nodded in agreement. Together the to women set off to the hospital in a companionable silence.

"Come on answer the damn phone!" Bob cursed as the mobile diverted across to voicemail for the fifth time, he sighed in frustration, he needed to reach her now, but there was no reply and she had been gone for over three hours. He didn't dare think what would happen if she didn't get there soon. He peered once more into the room, his heart nearly hammering out of his chest in fear at the sight before him, he was just beginning to think that this nightmare was over, now he realised that it was only just beginning.

"Do you need to pick anything up on the way?" June asked, and Gina took a moment to think.

"No, no thank you June I should be open, I got basic supplies earlier so that should see me through" she replied, a decision that she would be immensely grateful for in a matter of minutes.

A short time later the two officers walked through reception, and nearly got bowled over by an incredibly stressed Bob.

"Gina oh thank God!" he exclaimed out of breath from his pacing.

"Bob? What is it?" she asked, her pulse raising as anticipation of bad news hit her.

"Gina, I couldn't reach you!" he told her before getting straight to the point. "You need to come quick, it's Dale" he told her dragging her quickly to a curtained off area.

End Chapter Eighteen

Sorry for the cliffhanger, but need to make sure I have got your attention!

Please review!


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

Hi guys! Sorry for being so cruel with the way that I left the last chapter, but I just can't help myself! Please keep reading and reviewing this story it does mean a lot!

Chapter Nineteen

The three made the extremely short walk to Dale, but were not allowed to get as close as they would have liked, for he was surrounded by a number of medical personnel each of which appeared to be performing a different test. The three friends were appalled to hear the various alarms signalling a deterioration in the patient's conditions and they could all see their friend on the bed convulsing scaring each of their minds with an image that would haunt them in their dreams for a very long time.

"What happened?" June asked when she was able to speak again.

"I don't know, he was asleep and then he just started jerking on the bed" Bob explained. "As soon as I realised that he was having a fit I went and got the doctor and all of that lot flooded in and they haven't told me anything since" he told them, the older man struggling to keep his voice level. June desperately tried to prevent the tears from flowing over as she listened to her former colleagues words. She couldn't believe that after everything Dale still wasn't out of the woods. The three looked up with their hope written all over their faces as the doctor finally approached them.

"Would you like to come this way please?" he requested as he led them away to a small room slightly off set from the rest of the area, they sat down tentatively each anxiously awaiting the news that the doctor had for them.

"I won't beat around the bush, unfortunately it appears that Dale has another clot- this time a larger one. It is putting pressure on his brain which is what caused the convulsions. He is going to be taken straight up for immediate emergency surgery to hopefully remove the clot." The doctor explained and June could hold the tears back no longer.

"What are his chances?" Gina asked, her voice a mere whisper.

"Given his already weakened condition I would say he has a fifty fifty chance" the doctor replied honestly. Gina simply nodded in acceptance of his words.

"Will you let us know?" she told him, and she did not need to say anymore for he already perfectly understood what she was asking. He nodded kindly in response before leaving the room- with everybody hoping that he was about to save the life of a person that they loved.

Pain such agonising pain, his mind a swirled of agony and confusion. His eyes clamped shut as wave after wave lanced through him. The taste of copper in his mouth telling his muddled brain that he had clipped his lip as he struggled in the throes of the convulsions. His mind was far away desperate to escape the pain and run once more to the darkness, yet a tight grip on his hand held him back.

"Dale? Dale can you hear me?" a voice full of fear and emotion called out directly beside his head. He groaned as once more a surge of fire rushed through his battered skull. All at once he felt a prick in his hand and the pain began to fade, a hand massaged his clammy forehead in a soothing motions, all the while a female voice spoke softly chasing the demons away. He blinked slightly, his eyelids heavy as he tried to open them.

"Its okay Dale, just relax they are going to take good care of you" Gina familiar hoarse voice assured him, as he lost his battle to stay awake and the darkness once more embraced him. Gina blinked a number of times not willing to lose hope in her friend, she only hoped that her assurances were well founded.

End Chapter Nineteen

Not very long I know, but wanted to leave it on another cliffie! Please review and the next chapter will come a lot quicker.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

Thank you for the reviews, please keep sticking with me and my tale, and offer your comments whether good or bad! I am really sorry for the delay I promise I will do better from now on. Seriously please stick with this, I promise that I will update more regularly!!

Chapter Twenty

Gina's head nearly clean snapped off her shoulders when she heard the door open in front of her, the three officers grouped together in the small room, each listening attentively to what the doctor had to say.

"Hi there, sorry for keeping you waiting for so long. Dale is now settled back in his room. You will be very pleased to know that the operation was a success, and we don't envision there being any further complications with Sgt Smith's recovery" the young doctor told the three starring faces in front of him. All at once the three sighed huge breaths of relief at what the doctor had said. Each of them giddy with relief at the news and genuine grins formed on their faces.

"Can we see him?" June asked eagerly- especially keen to see her friend since the last time that she had seen him was when he was laid unconscious in the corridor of the station.

"Yes of course you may, just bare with me for five minutes more whilst we get him settled and then I shall show you in" the doctor replied with a grin. The three sat there in silence, each of them overwhelmed by the events of the day so far. Gina felt exhaustion running through her veins, she had never felt as close to a colleague as she did to Smithy, and she just could not bear the thought of ever losing him. She just wanted to grab him and hold him in her arms and never let him go, just so that she could make sure that nothing and nobody could ever hurt him again. She sighed and got to her feet itching to go and see her poorly friend.

Bob watched as Gina fidgeted before finally losing her battle to sit still by getting to her feet and walking to the door to await for the doctor. He knew ho she felt, for the same thoughts were rushing through his own mind as well. He had always thought of Dale and strong and invincible, yet over the last week he had seen that Dale was as vulnerable as anybody and could hurt just as much as the next man. In fact he had probably learnt that Dale felt things more strongly than a lot of people, mostly due to the way that he kept things bottled up for so long that by the time that he did release his feelings they had nearly overwhelmed him with emotions.

June couldn't even look at her two colleagues, when she had arrived at the hospital a few short hours ago she had thought that she would be seeing her colleague, who was poorly but on the mend, yet she had actually arrived to find her friend once more desperately ill and once more struggling for his life. It felt like she had lived a lifetime in the last few hours. She just hoped that now he could finally take his first steps on the way to recovery.

All three looked up and practically bolted to the door when the doctor arrived and told them that Dale was ready to see them, in fact he didn't even finish his sentence before they had left the room on the way to see the young man.

Gina grabbed hold of Dale's hand and nothing at all would have been capable of breaking the grip. Dale laid still, his skin almost transparent and his chest rising and falling steadily. The three colleagues didn't say a word, they didn't need to. They knew exactly what each other was thinking and no words were needed to express it. They stayed like that for over an hour before June broke the silence.

"I think I am going to have to get going" she told them both, and Gina nodded in acceptance. "Let me know if anything changes?" June prompted and the inspector nodded. June took one last look at the young man unconscious on the bed before leaving the room.

"You know I think I should probably get going too" Bob added, he was exhausted and his leg was throbbing from the uncomfortable chair. Gina once more just nodded, selfishly she wanted to be alone with Dale, she wanted to be there with him when he woke up and be able to comfort him. Bob knew this and he also knew that some things didn't need to be said. "Make sure you call me when he wakes up" Bob instructed her and she nodded before she carefully got to her feet, never releasing Dale's hand, and planted a kiss gently on Bob's cheek. Bob returned the gesture before turning and leaving, knowing that if he looked back he would never be able to leave the younger man that had quickly become his surrogate son.

Gina lifted her heavy head from where it rested on her arm, her neck cracked as she rotated it to relieve the kinks in it. She rolled her shoulders to ease the aching muscles, wondering why she had fallen asleep in such an uncomfortable position. Her thoughts quickly gathered and the stark reality of what had recently happened crept up on her as she realised where she was and why. She turned her gaze the subject of her thoughts, and smiled at the eyes looking back at her, sure they were confused and in pain, but they were the best sight she had seen for a long time.

End Chapter Twenty

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	21. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty One

Guys I am so sorry for the absolutely shocking amount of time that has passed since I last updated- please keep reading and keep reviewing as I will now be updating properly subject to people reading it!

Chapter Twenty One

"Oh Dale thank God!" Gina gasped as she intensified her grip on her friend's hand, at the same time reaching for the call button. Smithy's gaze locked directly on his superior officer, his pale eyes a cloud of pain and fear, but his eyes were looking straight at Gina. His eyes flicked upwards and filled with moisture as the stress on his system caught up with him. Gina felt tears form in her own eyes at the sight of her friend in such complete agony. "Shh Dale, it's okay I'm here with you, you're going to be just fine now" Gina lovingly soothed the young man, her hand caressing her pale brow as she awaited the doctor's arrival. She didn't need to wait for very long before the doctor walked in and approached the patient.

"Hi there Dale, pleased to see you!" the doctor greeted the young man, and Gina felt as though he honestly meant it. She stepped back slightly, but was halted by Dale gently squeezing her hand, she felt her heart raise in her chest at the thought that her presence brought comfort to the young man, and gently squeezed back staying slightly to one side so that the doctor could examine her friend. She was relieved when he left and she was once more alone with her friend.

"You will never know how glad I am to be looking at your baby blues" Gina commented to her friend and her heart lifted further upon seeing the slight smile in his eyes- for anything that abated the pain even slightly was an achievement to her. She gently stroked the young man's face until once more his eyes drifted shut and a healing sleep claimed him. Once she was sure that he was in the clutches of a restful sleep she gently disentanglement his hand from her grasp and headed off to update their friends of Dale's progress.

Gina shook her head to clear the cobwebs from her thoughts, she had woken abruptly her mind not yet caught up with where she was and why, it took her a moment before she realised why she had woken and her attention was rapidly stolen by the figure laid on the bed- the figure that was staring back at her- looking well and truly alive.

"Hey there" she greeted him with a smile that lit her eyes completely. Smithy licked his dry, cracked lips grateful that the tube was absent.

"Hi" he croaked in response.

"How you doing?" Gina asked, gently stroking his cheek.

"You tell me" he replied, his voice so weak Gina had to strain to hear it. She grinned lightly, relieved and pleased that Smithy's brain seemed to be in tact.

"A million times better now you are talking and not shaving years off my life" Gina replied, Smithy's lips turned up slightly in response, he was pleased that Gina was here. For the first time in his life he had someone that he cared for and that cared for him in return- he had family and it felt good.

"How long?" he asked his hazy mind struggling to grasp how long he had been there.

"Five days in total since you collapsed at work" Gina replied correctly guessing what he had been asking. Smithy tilted his head slightly in acknowledgement.

"You here all along?" he asked softly his energy already sapping.

"More or less, but Bob has too. Tony and June have also been by" Gina replied.

"You should sleep must be tired" Smithy replied before he lost his own battle with sleep and his eyes once more drifted shut. Gina grinned to herself- typical Smithy not even thinking of his own health but simply making sure that she was okay. She took a deep breath and sighed- her relief was immeasurable to see him speaking and listening to her replies. She focussed her gaze on the peacefully sleeping figure before dragging herself to her feet and heading towards the door- walking straight into Tony Stamp.

"I got your message! How is he doing?" he asked, his joy and apprehension both coming out at once.

"He was awake, speaking and holding a conversation- I think we may have got our Smithy back" Gina replied- the first genuine smile lighting her face and warming her heart.

End Chapter Twenty One


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty Two

Hi there thank you so much for the reviews- really glad to know that people are still reading despite how slack I have been at updating! Anyway true to my word here is the next update, please please please keep reading and reviewing it really does serve to spur me on! I have only just started watching the Bill again as my other half forbids me due to my comments while it is on- but I just can't resist a good Smithy storyline!

Chapter Twenty Two

"Gina, you really should go and get some sleep" Bob told the exhausted police inspector, he had not long since returned to the hospital to find the exhaustion of the inspector masked by euphoria at the sheer relief of the fallen sergeant finally being back on the way to healing. Gina stifled a yawn as she turned her attention to the retired officer.

"You're as bad as him" she responded, her glance momentarily flicking to the sleeping figure on the bed. Bob grinned in reply to the comment.

"I should be! I taught him most of it" he replied, although he knew that Dale was far more stubborn than even he had ever been and a million times more independent as well. "Seriously though, you do look exhausted I really think that you should nip home- even if only for an hour or so" Bob prompted. Gina rolled her eyes, but she couldn't deny how absolutely shattered she actually was. Grudgingly she got to her feet ad stretched her tired muscles.

"You might be right, but don't tell Smithy I said so" She commented with a smile, before placing a gentle kiss on the cheek of her sleeping friend and silently leaving the room. Bob smiled at her and waved briefly before taking up the seat that she had just vacated.

Colours floated around and shapes shifted in and out of focus as his mind drifted around in his memory- his brain hazy from the drugs pumped into his system to assist in sustaining his life. Faces flashed across his subconscious images that haunted his mind and dragged up the emotional weight of the last year. With a start Smithy's eyes shot open and his breath hitched in his throat.

"Shh, it's okay mate, it's all right. You're safe and sound" Tony Stamp tried to reassure his friend as he struggled against whichever demons held him in his clutches as he slept. Smithy as gradually pulled back to the present by he familiar voice.

"Tone?" he questioned, a hint of confusion to his voice.

"Yeah sarge, its me" Tony replied, the relief clear in his unused voice. He couldn't believe how grateful he felt at that moment that his friend was alive and talking and knowing who he was. Smithy smiled slightly and finally opened his tired, aching eyes.

"Thanks for catching me" Smithy stated, his face straight and his voice serious. It took Tony a moment or two for his mind to catch up.

"Anytime" He replied and he meant it, and for the first time in the last fortnight Smithy grinned in response. As the younger man closed his tired eyes and let sleep reclaim him, Tony felt the pinpricks of tears gathering, he shook his head to shake the emotions away- the relief at seeing his friend awake, alive and making jokes pushed him to the point of almost being overwhelmed. He smiled lightly to himself and then turned his gaze back to his sleeping friend, glad that he still had the younger man back in his life and looking like it was to stay.

" Well obviously you are the hot topic of gossip around the nick, you should hear some of the rumours. I tell you I bet the next one that starts involves Aliens and flying saucers" Gina told her friend who was looking intently at her. She had returned to her position beside his bed a couple of hours to go to find the young man sleeping soundly, Tony Stamp had left a short time later and Gina once more found herself alone with her friend. Smithy grinned exhaustedly in response.

"At least I am giving them something to talk about" he replied lightly. With every breath that he took his body reminded him of the trauma that he had put it through, every muscle he had throbbed endlessly, his head worst of all. He sighed, and winced as the movement aggravated his tender ribs. Gina smiled sadly as she caught the motion.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Gina asked softly, her tone conveying how serious she was. Smithy closed his eyes against her words.

"Tell you what?" he asked her, his eyes still closed against her scrutiny.

"Smithy, please. I am not going to push you, but I could have helped you. I just mean that I wish you had said how bad he had hurt you, and that you hadn't seen a doctor" Gina replied, deliberately keeping her voice neutral so that she didn't come across as accusing in her tone, plus she didn't want her friend to hear the hurt she felt. Smithy sighed once more.

"Sorry Gina" Dale replied simply, finally opening his eyes and locking his tired orbs directly on hers. "Its just, I have never really had anyone to tell, always just keep going so that's what I did" he replied simply. Gina sighed, and gently squeezed his hand to let him know that it was okay, so that he knew that she was there for him.

"It's okay Dale, I understand" she replied simply, and didn't comment any further. The two colleagues sat in a comfortable silence until Smithy once more drifted off to sleep. Gina sat back in her chair and just watched her friend sleep, willing to allow him his reprieve for now- however she also knew that there was no way the next time she raised the topic that the conversation would be so easy.

End Chapter Twenty Two


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty Three

Chapter Twenty Three

Well not so long between updates this time! Here is the next chapter please keep reading and posting reviews for me, as they really do mean everything and spur me on to write more and when this story finishes I can start on with my next humble offering.

Chapter Twenty Three

Dale knew that Gina was still sat next to him, but he also knew that there was no way that she was going to let the earlier subject drop. He knew that Gina Gold was a persistent woman and she would eventually get to the bottom of what was going on his head, the problem was he wasn't sure if he wanted her to. He knew that Gina loved him and cared for him and wanted him to be safe and happy- but he also knew that for her to delve into his locked away emotions would hurt him and he knew that there would be no going back. So for now he was intent on lying back with his eyes shut locking out the world around him.

/

Gina sighed to herself, she was no fool. She knew exactly what Dale was doing, but she also knew that for now the relief of him being okay was still fresh enough to allow him to get away with it for a while.

"Dale?" she prompted gently. There was no response, Gina sighed once more. "Dale I know you are awake" she spoke in a long suffering tone, her voice clearing conveying slight amusement at the actions of the police sergeant. "Come on don't ignore me, I won't talk about anything you don't want to. Come on before I have to get reinforcements in" Gina continued raising to her feet. She didn't miss the slight twitch to Dale's lips as he fought against the urge to smile. Reluctantly he slowly opened his eyes, wincing against the light in the room- his head instantly reminding him of his fragile state. "Ah that's better" Gina laughed as at last the soulful eyes opened to her.

"Sorry Gina" Dale whispered, ashamed of ignoring his friend. Despite him being unconscious for the most part Smithy was still aware that Gina had spent hour after hour beside his bed throughout his most recent ordeal, and he had treated her badly. He gulped down the wave of emotion that ran through him. Gina's head twisted in puzzlement at the emotions playing across her young friend's face.

"Dale? Dale honey what's wrong?" she asked him in concern, feeling immediately guilty for teasing him into opening his eyes. Smithy shook his head gently and squeezed his eyes shut willing the tears to not fall. As was his luck of late salty tears began to roll down his face as his body once more let him down. Gina felt tears well in her own eyes as she watched her dear friend battle in himself. "Hey Smithy it's okay, let it out" she whispered softly, as she caressed his exposed cheek gently. A few moments passed before Dale once more managed to gather himself together.

"Sorry. I'm sorry Gina" he whispered once he was able.

"What are you sorry for? You haven't done anything wrong?" she replied, deeply puzzled by how Dale thought he had wronged her.

"I'm sorry for pretending I couldn't hear you, after everything you have done for me you deserve better" he replied.

"Don't be silly" she replied stilling squeezing his shoulder in comfort. "I understand, you thought I was going to resurrect yesterday's conversation and didn't feel up to it, it's okay Dale really. It is my fault for pushing you yesterday" she continued, and cut the young man off before he could argue. "Now Dale that's the end of it and that is an order. I'm not having you setting your recovery back just because you feel that you need to take on an argument with me that you will never win" Gina continued and Dale smiled slightly- that was the reason he loved Gina Gold so much- she always knew how to shut him up.

"Okay. You win as usual. Sorry" he commented in return and stopped his sentence at the sharp look that she sent him. He took a breath to steel his nerves knowing that the conversation he was about to start was not going to be easy. "Gina, when I ended up in here was anyone else told?" he asked carefully, barely able to look at her as he asked. Gina thought for a moment before answering, not fully sure where this was leading.

"Adam rang your mother" Gina replied, not expanding any further on her answer. Smithy closed his eyes slightly.

"She won't have been interested" he whispered, the time when those words would have caused soul deep pain had long since passed. Gina sighed angry that there was such pain in her friend's past and also frustrated that she didn't fully know what it was all about. "What about Louise?" he asked, his voice a mere whisper. Gina paused, no-one had mentioned Louise since Smithy's illness had become apparent, and she knew she had to tread carefully.

"No Dale, we didn't ring Louise. To be honest we weren't really sure whether to" Gina replied, Smithy merely nodded not really sure what to say, mainly because he wasn't really sure if they wanted him to have rung her or not.

"How long til I can go home?" Dale asked, his voice still soft even to his own ears. Gina smiled to herself.

"Don't start that one already Dale, you are not rushing this one. I guarantee as your inspector that there is no way you are coming back to work until I am completely satisfied" Gina replied, her tone leaving o room for arguments.

"Thank you ma'am" Dale replied with a ghost of a smile.

"What for?" Gina asked, her tone conveying her confusion.

"For caring" Dale replied before once more drifting into a deep oblivious sleep.

End Chapter Twenty Three

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	24. Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty Four

Chapter Twenty Four

Thank you for the reviews of the last chapter, please please please keep them coming I really need them!!

Chapter Twenty Four

The following two weeks went in a semblance of routine as Gina, Bob and Tony shared the visiting of their poorly friend. Day by day the police sergeant got stronger and stronger managing to stay awake longer with each passing day. As more tubes disappeared from the young man the more impatient he got to go home, though there was still an obvious air of sadness around him and Gina more than anyone could tell that those impenetrable shutters had once more clattered down around her young friend's soul.

"Dale, you will go home when the doctor says you are well enough and not before" Gina chastised her young friend.

"There's no point me being in 'ere any more is there. I can lay about in bed at home but with a TV and some books" Dale reasoned with his superior. Gina rolled her eyes.

"I am telling you now mister you have taken about 15 years from my life with worry over you, so if the doctor says you aren't well enough to go home then you are staying here until he says otherwise even if I have to tie you to the bed myself." Gina told him, her voice rising more than she meant it to, as the stress of the last few weeks overtook her emotions. Dale observed her for a few moments clearly noticing how tired and stressed she looked.

"I'm sorry I put ya through all of that. Don't worry I will do whatever the doctor tells me" Smithy told his friend, the sincerity in his eyes telling her he was being honest. She smiled at him in acceptance.

"I know you will, because I know that you want to get well" she replied, and there was something about the way that he closed his eyes and slightly turned his head away that made her just slightly concerned.

"Gina you look knackered, why don't you go home an have a full night in bed. I ain't going anywhere, and you know I will be here waiting when you come back" Smithy told his inspector- he immediately cut off her protest. "Honestly please I would be happier if you went home and got the rest you need, besides I need to be on my own sooner or later" he reasoned with her. Reluctantly Gina nodded in agreement, she got tiredly to her feet and reached over to gently caress Dale's pale forehead where the bandages stopped. She looked him straight in the eye before speaking.

"You need anything, anything you ring me" she told him, he nodded carefully. "I will be back first thing in the morning" she assured him before kissing him softly on the cheek. She then quietly left the room. As soon as she was gone Smithy allowed his eyes to close, his head was still banging and he felt continually sick but he was managing to stay awake for longer periods of time, but with the wakefulness came awareness, awareness of what had caused him to be there in the first place, and with that realisation came the pain- not the physical type in his head but the soul deep feeling that his love had been torn away from him and to make it worse she had gone willingly. He sighed, he honestly didn't think that the pain would ever leave him, he just wanted to go home so that he could dwell in his own space without people continually asking him if he was okay or expecting him to talk about things. He had spent his life on his own- only twice had he handed his heart and soul to someone and the first was Kerry who had trampled over his heart and just as they had sorted things out to a degree she had been snatched away from him by a bullet. The only other time was Louise and this was where that had ended. He blinked furious at the tears that were gathering in his eyes, he knew all along that he was better off alone; he just hadn't listened to himself. Maybe his father had been right, maybe he really wasn't worthy of being loved. Dale closed his eyes and allowed the tears to fall as he drifted off to sleep.

/

Gina looked at the clock for about the fiftieth time in the last hour. She had promised her friend that she would go home to bed for the night and return in the morning, but she just couldn't settle. She missed watching him sleep, she couldn't help but let her mind wander as to what he could be thinking in that moment, if she was honest with herself she was just so scared that him sending her home had been the first step in him pushing people away to bury himself in his overwhelming loss and depression again. With a sigh she made a vow to herself there and then that there was no way on earth that that boy was going to push her away- no way.

/

Finally it was 8am and Gina felt that Dale would accept that that constituted a good night's sleep, she climbed into a taxi with her arms laden with food and drinks. Today was due to be the day that Dale tried actual food rather than just the IV that had been sustaining him since he was admitted into hospital. The boy had lost far too much weight before he fell so ill, so now he looked anorexic and Gina was determined to do her bit to rectify it. She arrived at the hospital just as the doctor was leaving her friend's room.

"Ah good morning Inspector" he greeted her with a smile, she returned the gesture.

"Morning, how's he doing?" she asked.

"He is doing very well, I think we were very lucky that Dale is so strong and fit otherwise he may not have got this far" he replied honestly. "Of course he is already nagging me to get discharged" he continued ruefully. Gina shook her head slightly wondering if she really was going to have to tie her friend down to keep him still.

"Do you know when he will be free to go home?" she asked.

"If he manages some actual food and keeps it down and manages to walk a length of the hall unaided, then we can look at some sort of homecare" the doctor told her.

"Homecare?" Gina asked in concern, knowing that Smithy would hate that more than the sterile hospital room.

"Well yes, obviously Dale's recovery is not going to be an overnight thing. It will take a couple of months until the headaches and dizziness pass completely, plus there is the lack of mobility that he will suffer upon his release. My main concern is that Dale lives on his own without family or a partner and whether he likes it or not he will need help" the doctor told Gina and her answer came without hesitation.

"Well what if he stayed with me? Or if I stayed with him?" she asked, her determination to get her friend back to his old self overruling anything else.

"Would that be a possibility?" the doctor asked.

"Yes of course" Gina replied, sincere.

"Well then that would make it a different matter. Obviously he would still have to show that he can walk short distances and eat, but yes that should be a possibility. His physio starts this afternoon so at that point we should know where we are at" the doctor replied obviously please by the evident support for his patient. Gina smiled to herself, however the smile soon faded as she realised that she would still have to explain her plan to Smithy.

End Chapter Twenty Four


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